UCIrvineAnteaters  index5

Welcome to the website for Project CRYSTAL. (Cultivating and Researching Youth Systems Thinking through Authentic Learning). In Project CRYSTAL, 4th-6th-grade students from Orange County schools work closely with students and faculty from the University of California, Irvine, as well as the Crystal Cove Conservancy, to engage in authentic research experiences at Crystal Cove State Park. The elementary-school students investigate the question “How do we restore our park?”, learning about how we can do our parts to restore and protect the environment from the negative impact of people and climate change. The aim is to develop life-long science learners, promoting growth in students’ academic achievement as well as their passion for science, restoration, and learning.

On this website you can learn more about the many sides of this project, from the history of Crystal Cove itself, to the kinds of scientific and educational research that Project CRYSTAL is undertaking.