SCICON Clemmie Gill School of Outdoor Science

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SCICONClemmie Gill School of Outdoor Science
ConservationTulare County Department of Education
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SCICON Site Map
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SCICON Entrance Sign, Gate View from entrance
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SCICON Office Check-inAll groups stop here
to check-in, receive cabin assignments, schedule,
etc.This building has 3 staff offices and a
small lobby.
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SCICON Parking lot luggage drop offParents,
teachers and guests park in the parking
lot.Parking lots other areas have public
restrooms available.Buses pull into the circle
drive and unload campers and luggage.Luggage is
loaded in the trailers and moved to cabin
areas.All the roads are paved (asphalt).
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SCICON Amphitheater Lions Club
PavilionStudents meet their counselors program
leaders and move into facility tour and
hike.Amphitheater is used for evening programs
and story-telling.Lions Club built large
pavilion for program space and rainy day space.
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SCICON CDF StationCDF installed a fire station
on site. They dont have it staffed during the
winter, just summer. CDF staff help clear around
cabins during their down time.
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SCICON Intern LodgeThey have interns for
program and cabin leaders.Intern have apartments
in this lodge, lounge with kitchenette, TV,
Internet and games.Interns make 350 per week
plus housing and basic insurance package.
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SCICON Exeter Lodge Health StationExeter
Lodge is housing for teachers, 2 per room with
nice lounge area.Teachers do not teach outdoor
ed. classes, they participate with students and
observe.Some teachers do use this time as
planning and retreat time themselves.Health
station has exam room, two bedrooms for sick kids
and apartment for nurse.They have a full-time
staff nurse during the school year programs
doctors orders.
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SCICON Paved pathsAll the roads and paths
between buildings are paved.
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SCICON Camper CabinsCabins organized in
communities for boys girls, central restroom
buildings for each.12 per cabin in bunks,
heated, fans and ceiling fans for
cooling.Counselors stay in each cabin, lead
counselors have a room attached to cabins, 4th
photo
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SCICON Camper CabinsCabins are well built,
decks are composite material (long lasting, clean
look).Photos below are of the girls cabin areas.
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SCICON Special Needs CabinBear Creek Cabin
houses special needs campers, parents or
counselors and has space for a nurse. It also has
a small lounge area.
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SCICON Valley Oak CabinComputer lab,
classroom, lounge, bedrooms and restrooms for
campers.Hotel style room for a parent who may
need to be there for their child.Storage,
kitchenette and laundry facilities.
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SCICON John Muir Dining HallLots of deck space
around the dining hall.Seating inside for 280,
can set up as 2 dining areas when hosting rental
groups.They use this space for evening programs
too.Kids eat family style, teachers eat with
kids too.
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SCICON Serendipity LodgeMore staff housing and
housing for their lead teacher/naturalist.
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SCICON Creek adjacent to dining hallBear Creek
goes through the site, next to the dining
hall.They have trails that follow the creek on
both sides and incorporate it in their teaching.
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SCICON Rotary PavilionCovered pavilion and
rainy day activity spot built by Tulare County
Rotary.
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SCICON Nature trails, orchard, nursery
areaNature trails are spread throughout the 1100
acre site.They have a working orchard that they
use for education/instruction.They also have a
nursery area they use for teaching.
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SCICON Nature trails, orchard, nursery
areaThey have a library, nature center, raptor
center and more meeting spaces on site.(below)3
cabin areas give flexibility to host 2-4 schools
at a time.They do mix kids from different
schools into cabin, study and meal groups so the
kids get to meet and be with a variety of other
kids.
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Scicon receives support through Tulare County
Office of Education and receives some state
grant funds. They are accredited.-Non-school
year they do rent facilities to other
groups.-Communities, organizations and
individuals provide donations and there are
recognition plaques and facilities named for
groups or families throughout the site.Other
information

• Site is a little over 1100 acres, nonprofit group
  they created purchased land to create a buffer
  zone around the mail facility.
• Interns and full-time staff of 30, most live on
  or near the site.
• 200-250 kids per week on average during school
  year.
• 139.50 per student for 4-day program (not
  including subsidy from school district)
• Offer diversity and variety in programs.
• Do have an observatory and planetarium on site.
• Have built a good reputation in communities.
• Kids come back as interns and staff.
• They dont allow the facilities to fall into
  disrepair and not too much time between facility
  development projects.