Guardians Around the Earth

quality edu-care for youth, collaborative learning for adults

aka Learning & Edu-Care Project   |   Tehachapi, CA   |  www.guardiansaroundtheearth.org

Mission

Guardians Around The Earth cares - providing STEM edu-care for our youth, caring education and action for our environment and supporting caregivers of community and/or family life.

Ruling year info

2007

Principal Officer

Bellezza Squillace

Main address

Post Office Box 1871

Tehachapi, CA 93581 USA

Show more contact info

Formerly known as

GATE

GATE

EIN

86-1175701

NTEE code info

Kindergarten, Nursery Schools, Preschool, Early Admissions (B21)

Adult, Continuing Education (B60)

Environmental Education and Outdoor Survival Programs (C60)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990-N.

Communication

Blog

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Individuals and families are growing more disconnected to Nature. As a result a lack of respect for our natural environment develops. For some adults and children this disconnect produces stress for which they are unable to cope. We provide the skills needed for coping, calming and reconnecting. While children in school are taught about our environment, the need to protect it, and consequences of human interactions, Guardians Around The Earth realizes that a school-aged child's brain has changed from building knowledge to layering information. As a result many thoughts, beliefs and possibly subsequent actions may be ingrained. Early childhood (ages 0-5) is the time of greatest brain growth and learning ability. We provide ways for these young children to gain an underlying respect for Nature and desire to nurture our environment - now and in the future.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Personal Empowerment

Strengthen, develop and promote spiritual enrichment, build intuitive skills and discuss empowering topics.

Population(s) Served
Adults
Children and youth

Help individuals recognize mental, physical and emotional triggers as stressors, then provide coping, relaxation and self-healing strategies.

Population(s) Served
Adults
Children and youth

Provide knowledge and awareness of our natural environment, as well as of the various energies within and surrounding our bodies.

Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Adults

Provide activities for sharing life skills and developing work force survival skills. Build strong ethics and learn effective communication skills.

Population(s) Served
Adults

Provides self-help and personal growth options for primary caregivers to process emotions and rejuvenate the whole being. Expand knowledge through sharing experiences.

Population(s) Served
Adults
Caregivers

Enhance the education of young children 6 months through 6 years by teaching and by helping educators become high-quality, effective instructors in STEM and our natural environment.

Population(s) Served
Infants and toddlers
Adults

Where we work

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Number of teachers who demonstrate effective teaching practices

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Natural Energy and Environment

Type of Metric

Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

This metric quantifies educators who incorporated the organization's focus curriculum into their teaching routines.

Number of students educated through field trips

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Natural Energy and Environment

Type of Metric

Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Young children who have experienced environmental immersive field trips. Covid impacted these in-person services for 2020.

Number of children who have access to education

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Infants and toddlers

Related Program

Natural Energy and Environment

Type of Metric

Context - describing the issue we work on

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

# children receiving focus education. 2019 gives # benefiting from improved early STEM education. 2020 gives # benefiting from virtual programs as early STEM conferences on hiatus due to COVID-19.

Number of individuals applying skills learned through the organization's training

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Family relationships

Related Program

Stress Reduction

Type of Metric

Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues

Direction of Success

Decreasing

Context Notes

Number of adults and children gaining individualized stress reduction and coping skills. Sadly, 2020-21 decreases result from limits on service provision not on decrease of need.

Average number of dollars received per donor

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Input - describing resources we use

Direction of Success

Increasing

Number of trees cared for

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Natural Energy and Environment

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Volunteer Tree Force actions and interventions.

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

Guardians Around The Earth aims to enhance connections to our natural environment by increasing early childhood education quality and building effective families. Our goals include incorporating early science, early technology, early engineering and early math as means of understanding Nature and the World around us.

Guardians Around The Earth merged 3 organizational strategies into our Learning & Edu-Care Project focus. They are:
1) Build love and respect for our natural environment during early childhood through positive environmental experiences.
2) Enhance early childhood education by providing effective engagements of key adults.
3) Offer youth exposure to quality learning experiences, with one-on-one stress reduction skills training as needed.

GATE leadership and board have decades of experience teaching adults and children ages 4 weeks to 14 years. Experience includes one-on-one skills teaching, small group focused education, as well as large group presentations and workshops across the United States.

During fiscal year ending 2018, GATE helped preschools within Kern County develop healthy food choice programs for students. Created and distributed informational handouts for students, parents and teachers. Educated teachers and parents of both preschoolers and school-aged children about nutrition and our environment.

During fiscal year ending 2019, GATE worked to inform regional educators and parents on the importance of nature-based play for early childhood education (ECE); Provided early STEM curriculum training for parents and educators of children under aged four; Expanded environmental immersive field trips for Preschoolers and their Guardians.

During fiscal year ending 2022, GATE extended environmental education to a wider constituent base through a variety of new venues. GATE began greater opportunities for early STEM supply distribution throughout Kern County.

For the upcoming years, GATE wishes to continue enhancing ECE quality within Kern County. GATE will continue to educate parents, teachers and children about our environment, engage young children in environmental immersive field trips, and provide learning opportunities in STEM, nature-based play and effective family engagements.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We demonstrated a willingness to learn more by reviewing resources about feedback practice.
done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • Who are the people you serve with your mission?

    Children and parents seeking greater connection with Nature, early STEM and environmental education. Families and support individuals in need of stress reduction, healing and comfort.

  • How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?

    Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Paper surveys, Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person),

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,

  • What significant change resulted from feedback?

    Brief survey identified the need for service changes in one of our educational offerings. As a result, the program service changed both time and day of week in order to meet the needs of the greatest number of client families.

  • With whom is the organization sharing feedback?

    Our board, Our community partners,

  • How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship?

    Half of those asked for feedback have increased their interaction with the organization. A few decreased interaction as Covid-related funding challenges caused a change in resource allocations and in-person service cancellations.

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback,

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time,

Financials

Guardians Around the Earth
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

Guardians Around the Earth

Board of directors
as of 07/18/2022
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Marisa Folse

Marisa Folse

Melany Wallace

Anjanette Williams

Bellezza Squillace

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 9/9/2021

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data

Equity strategies

Last updated: 09/09/2021

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
Policies and processes
  • We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.