Winter 2007 Volume 4

The Environmental Learning Center
The New Home of the Porter Center for Science & Mathematics!

The Lake County Educational Service Center (LCESC) and the Porter Program for Science & Mathematics have embarked on an exciting new partnership with Lake Metroparks (LMP)! As part of this partnership, a new beautiful facility is being constructed to house the Porter Program and other LCESC science initiatives. The new facility which is to be called The Lake Metroparks’ Environmental Learning Center (ELC) will be just minutes away at the old Camp Klein location off Alexander Road & Rt. 608. Porter will expand to additional classrooms including a bio-tech laboratory, an observatory, a greenhouse, technology studio, conference room and large multipurpose room. All classrooms will be equipped with state-of-the-art educational technology. Most importantly, the Porter Programs will be able to enjoy the park location by expanding to include over 200 acres of outdoor education! Construction is in process! Our goal is to be in the new facility by the start of the 2008-2009 school year.

Our plan is to add an outdoor component to every module. To start, two of our modules, Erosion and Pond/Classification, will be redesigned to include outdoor investigations and will be completed to correspond with the facility opening. After that, at least two additional modules per year will be redesigned to include an outdoor component. The facility will also be used to provide cutting edge curriculum and instruction presentations on a regional level highlighting experts in the fields of mathematics and science.

In addition, Lake Metroparks has also included our input in spending a $650K ODE, Educational Equipment Grant. Together, we’ve identified some amazing educational technology which will be used as we redesign the modules. New technology includes, but is not limited to: state-of-the-art observatory, fully-equipped biotech laboratory, greenhouse, technology studio (includes distance learning), GPS units, iPods, Helmet Cam, Turning Point systems, Smartboards, computer technology Cart with 20 student computers, stream kits, soil kits, field kits, weather instruments, field microscopes, leaf structure models, steriomicroscopes, etc.

The Porter Program will receive in-kind facility support from Lake Metroparks similar to what has been generously provided by Auburn Career Center over its 17 years. However, the Porter Program is still responsible for its own operating expenses. The operating budget for Porter is currently at $400,000 annually. With the expanded learning space at the ELC, additional programming and professional development offerings are certainly being considered. Now that we will be in our own facility, we do expect an increase in maintenance and general operations expenses. Schools may anticipate changes in programming and programming fees as we evolve to fit our wonderful new location. We will be providing orientation sessions to introduce our new program to our partnering schools, administrators, and teachers. Look for invites to the orientation and upcoming open houses as the school year progresses.

State Funds Awarded!

The Porter Center for Science & Mathematics has received state funding for this biennium! That totals $408,000 over a two year period. This covers approximately half of our operating budget per year. Every two years, the Porter Center is removed from the Ohio Board of Regents budget because it is an earmarked item. Thanks to support from our patrons – administrators, teachers, and parents -- many many letters were sent to our legislators in support of putting us back into the budget. And they heard you! State Representatives Lorraine Fende and Matt Dolan both went to bat for the Porter Center. They both have experienced the Porter Center programs and have seen first hand our students in action. They’re excited about our new partnership with Lake Metroparks. A heartfelt thank you to State Representatives Lorraine Fende and Matt Dolan, and all of you who put your feelings into action and helped us to re-secure our funds! Your continued support is sincerely appreciated!

The Cleveland Foundation, Lake/Geauga Fund
Awards Porter $31,250
The Great Outdoor Adventure (New Module Development)

The Great Outdoor Adventure grant funds will support the development of our first two outdoor modules to be introduced at the opening of the new ELC facility. The modules under revision are Erosion and Pond/Classification. The format for our new modules will look something like this: 1) a pre-visit packet sent out to the teachers to review introductory information and a small pre-investigation prior to visiting the Center, 2) the indoor component of the visit to the Center will be reduced to approximately 45 minutes which will be immediately followed by, 3) a new outdoor component at the Center which will include outdoor investigations on the same topic and will last approximately an additional hour, and 4) an inclement weather option for the outdoor component to use as a backup for the one hour piece. This will include creating trails and outdoor stations for each of the new modules.

Our teachers are leading the lesson plan development process with the generous assistance of local subject matter experts including: Tom Adair and John Pogacnik from Lake Metroparks, Beth Landers from Lake County Soil & Water, Kathy Terrell and Cheryl McGovern from Children’s Schoolhouse Nature Park (Lake Metroparks), Paul Pira from Geauga Parks, and Claire Zurbuch our Porter Center Consultant. Rich Benz from the Lake County Educational Service Center is assisting with the coordination of this project. A special thank you goes out to these volunteers!!

$19,400 is Awarded to Porter from
the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation
The Elementary Science Workshop (Professional Development)

Come springtime, the Porter Program will provide the 2nd professional development series, Elementary Science Workshops. This Jennings grant-funded workshop design was built on the success of last year’s Elementary Mathematics Lab. The five workshops are each three hours in length. The topics are determined based on an analysis of the critical areas of need from the item analysis from the Achievement Test results. We’re currently in the process of gathering that data from each of the districts. Thank you to those “data collectors”. We greatly appreciate the time the districts gave to collect that data for us!
Besides excellent lesson plans and professional guidance, participants will receive a bag full of wonderful instructional materials, supplies & literature for EACH session that they participate in (up to an $80 value per session)!! Well worth the $30 session fee! College credit is available at a charge for those who attend all five sessions. Teachers will see demonstrations of creative and interactive lesson plans, have an opportunity to practice the lesson plans, and walk away with 2-4 lesson plans per session and all the tools required to teach the lessons back in their classrooms. Professional instruction will be provided by a team including, but not limited to educational professionals from John Carroll University, Kent State University, and Lakeland Community College. Look for these sessions to be held early Spring. Registration information will be made available after the new year.

Porter Center Awarded a $7,500
Dominion Educational Partnership Grant
Renewable & Nonrenewable Energy (Module Upgrade)

The funds from this Dominion Educational Partnership grant are being used to update our energy module. The electricity pre-visit has been expanded to include an understanding of how electricity is made, where it is made, how we use electricity, electricity flow, what happens when we run out of fossil fuels, and electricity safety. The “visit” component to the Farmpark is being expanded to include investigations about alternative renewable energy sources to include activities such as creating a wind-powered toy, making solar or hydro powered tools, measuring temperature through a hole in the ground, and seeing decomposition and gases demonstrations. Some of the grant funds will be used to offset the cost to Porter for sending students through Farmpark.

Spooky Science Conjures Up Some Family Fun
Hold the Dates for Our Next Family Fun Nights:
Mon. Feb. 4th, and Mon. Mar. 10th from 6:00-7:00 p.m. here at Auburn.

Over 325 junior scientists and family members attended the Oct. 19th Porter Center for Science & Mathematics’ annual Spooky Science night hosted by Auburn Career Center. A special thank you goes out to the many Lake and Geauga school administrators and teachers who helped to get the word out to many of the families! Children participated in a number of amazing science investigations. In the Cosmic Café, some activities included creating Cartesian Divers, making a spooky glove come to life, and landing a rocket on the moon. In the “Spooky Things to Do in the Dark” room, kids carefully examined insect x-rays, made their own constellations and explored art under black lights. Special features included a real Star Lab (borrowed from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History) where the children explored the constellations. And a NASA astronomy bus pulled right up to our event. In the bus, families were able to enjoy short astronomy videos and ask questions of the knowledgeable NASA volunteers. The program is geared for children grades K through 5. The event was supported in part by donations from Auburn Career Center, Best Sand, Giant Eagle, The Old Mill Winery, and Kinetico. Special thanks to the many student volunteers from Auburn Career Center and the volunteers from the community. The Porter Center is a program of the Lake County Educational Service Center.

Children make their own Cartesian Divers with water bottles donated by Kinetico

A couple well-attired Spooky Science attendees take a popcorn break in the Cosmic Café

Porter Fee Structure Changes…a Heads’ Up

The Porter Program is still responsible for its own $400K operating budget. Now that we will be in our own facility, we do expect an increase in maintenance and general operations expenses. With the expanded learning space at the ELC, additional programming and professional development offerings are certainly being considered. Schools may anticipate changes in programming and programming fees as we evolve to fit our wonderful new location. Of course, we’re continually tightening our belt as much as possible here at Porter, offsetting costs with grants and donations wherever possible and reducing expenses. We’ll continue to offer professional development, distance learning, and the lending library of equipment and classroom kits utilizing a fee-based service to help support a portion of the operations.

For all participants, we’re considering moving to an annual per classroom charge. For Lake County participants, an example would look something like $25/class/year which averages to $1/student/year) for any new programming. Also for Lake County, over the course of a few years, we’re considering moving away from some of the transportation support provided to our Lake County participants. The fee structure goal is to make nominal adjustments over a period of time ensuring continued participation in our high quality science and mathematics programs. We’ll be inviting in administrators to come out to visit with their classes and provide teacher orientation sessions to help everyone involved to better understand all the benefits of our very unique Porter programming.

In exchange, using the Turning Point assessment system, we’ll show you with solid data the impact our programs have on student learning. We want to show, for example, that the students walked into our program with a certain percentage of understanding of key concepts and that they walked out with an improved knowledge. We also collect and analyze your achievement test results and disaggregate the data to identify key areas of concern in science and math. From there, we modify our programs or create new components to ensure that we’re always addressing high priority areas. Thus, allowing us to show you directly the positive impact our quality programs have on students.

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Lake County Educational Service Center
30 South Park Place, Suite 320 Painesville, Ohio 44077
Phone 350-2563 Fax 350- 2566

Governing Board
Mr. Robert Dawson, President
Mrs. Jean Brush
Mrs. Marilyn Kent
Mr. David Foote Sr.
Mr. James Vernon Jr.

Linda J. Williams Ph.D., Superintendent
Sherri Samac, Treasurer