Field Trips for Students Learning from Home

Aiken, SC (04/21/2020) — The Ruth Patrick Science Education Center staff has decided that if K-12 students can't come visit them on the campus of the University of South Carolina Aiken, they'll just go where the students are these days -- at home.

"Soon after public and private schools in the areas started remote instruction in March, they canceled field trips for their students. To assist teachers -- and parents -- transition to at-home learning, the Ruth Patrick Science Education staff came up with the idea to bring field trip opportunities to the students, virtually of course," said Dr. Gary Senn, director of the Ruth Patrick Science Education Center.

Upon hearing of the schools' closures, John Hutchens, director of special programming at RPSEC, immediately started working on some ideas to continue enriching K-12 students' educational experiences by providing new approaches to engaging them.

"Because we can't be together in person, we are trying to be creative with ways to continue to infuse the love of STEM," he said.

Hutchens' efforts led to several computer-based field trips, which can be found at https://tinyurl.com/RPSECVirtualFieldTrips .

These virtual experiences highlight several residents who call RPSEC home, including reptiles, owls and amphibians. Students can learn more about the RPSEC sundials, take an eco-hike through Hitchcock Woods, or explore the longleaf pine ecosystem at the Silver Bluff Audubon Center, all while sitting at their computers.

"We certainly miss seeing our K-12 students and look forward to having them back on campus as soon as possible. Until then, we hope they enjoy these virtual field trips," Senn said.

While the virtual experiences are designed to complement K-12 science curricula, the public is invited to explore Ruth Patrick Science Education Center by taking one of the field trips found at https://tinyurl.com/RPSECVirtualFieldTrips .

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