Third graders at West Putnam Elementary School were in for a treat Tuesday after interacting with Dianne Odegard, education and public outreach manager for Bat Conservation International, during a Nepris session. West Putnam students have been learning about bats and were able to talk with Odegard, who is based in Austin, Texas, through a live webcast.
Odegard took questions from students during the hour-long session while also showing live bats to the students. As a state-licensed bat rehabilitator, Odegard has participated in education distance learning programs since 2008.
Nepris (www.nepris.com) was designed to help reduce the barriers between industry and education. The core mission of Nepris is making industry engagement part of the everyday classroom by empowering teachers to engage students in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art+Design and Mathematics) learning. Teachers for Porterville Unified School District are using the district’s technology through Nepris in order to connect students to industry experts.
Bat Conservation International (www.batcon.org) is dedicated to the enduring protection of the world’s 1300+ species of bats and their habitats as well as creating a world in which bats and humans successfully coexist.