California

Gifted, Creative, and Twice-Exceptional Learners

Sierra Gifted Environmental School’s mission is to provide:

• An academically challenging and supportive learning environment, utilizing Inquiry and Experiential learning strategies that enable students to become responsible, engaged, and innovative members of society.
• A learning community that fosters a deep understanding of environmental issues through INQUIRY & EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING.
• A safe and risk-free environment of mutual respect, fostering academic and social success.

Through authentic projects, students learn to tackle real-world environmental science problems designed to capture students’ interest and provoke rigorous thinking as the students acquire and apply new knowledge in a problem-solving context. Additionally, teachers at Sierra Gifted work with students to frame worthwhile questions, structure meaningful tasks, and coach both knowledge development and social skills. Because students have a say in what they learn and how they demonstrate mastery of the material, they are more engaged in the learning process. The ultimate goal is to provide a transformative learning environment that fosters students’ curiosity, sparks their imaginations, and gives them the tools to soar.