Community Partnerships
TEA Community Partnerships
Over the past decade, we have taken hundreds of trips outside the classroom walls, with a heavy focus on closing the Nature gap and developing adaptability and resilience. We started TEA’s Community Partnership Programs to bring this educational approach to a larger, wider and more diverse audience by connecting people and organizations in our community with guided adventures, educational opportunities and transformative experiences.
If you or someone you know is interested in partnering with us to connect us with people and organizations who may benefit from it, then please let us know. These programs are intended to be free of charge for participants and funded by local areas grants and generous donors. We are always looking for community partners, so please reach out by contact Taylor Simmers – tsimmers@tea-mail.org.
Connecting People with Nature
Tahoe Expedition Academy is excited to team up with Constellation Creek to provide an incredible free experience for people in our community who are looking to connect with Nature, have some time to focus on mental health and to turn adversity into opportunity. Included in this experience is a multi-day stay at Constellation Creek, food, transportation and “TEA-style” experiences.
With its incredible location and adventures, Constellation Creek is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise. Situated on six acres of stunning forestland with a creek flowing through the heart of the property, participants will find a tranquil base to disconnect from the chatter of everyday life, relax and rebalance. Nearby activity options are boundless and here kids roam free.
WA-SHE-SHU DA-OW-GA SHORELINE VIRTUAL TOUR
The word “Tahoe” itself is a mispronunciation of the Washoe word Da-ow-ga, meaning edge of the lake. So why do we continue to call it Tahoe? In this video project, we visited different sites around Tahoe that are now seen as touristy. We started with what we know about the landmark, white sandy beaches, vast green lawns, and summer fun. Then, we were lucky enough to work with Ben Rupert, a member of the Shoshone and Paiute tribes, who told us the Indigenous significance of the land.
As journalists, our students wanted to do something that would boost the voices of the people who lived in what we now call Tahoe long before us. In this video project, students visited different sites around Tahoe that are now seen as touristy. They started with what we know about the landmark, white sandy beaches, vast green lawns, and summer fun. Then, they were lucky enough to work with Ben Rupert, a member of the Shoshone and Paiute tribes, who told us the Indigenous significance of the land. Every landmark had a story, just as every place has a deeper history. These videos are available via this interactive map.
MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT IN THE WORLD
A recent senior class at Tahoe Expedition Academy was asked to design a class service trip on their own. As a crew, they decided that with the turmoil in the Middle East and the refugee crisis in Europe, they would travel to Greece to volunteer with PRAKSIS, a non governmental organization that provides social and medical services for refugees. The goal of the trip was to understand and help refugees forced to flee their own country to find safety elsewhere.
At the culmination their Learning Expedition titled “Move, Adapt, or Die: The Life and Times of a Syrian Refugee,” students produced this short documentary film, which illustrates the challenges of current Syrian refugees in Greece. They also created a Facebook page to spread awareness of the plight of refugees in Greece and to support the PRAKSIS aid organization and all of the volunteers they met along the way.