Bringing Nature to the Classroom with Jabra and California State Parks

The PORTS Program’s goal is to bring students closer to California state parks through digital storytelling, while addressing both the needs of digital-native students who are accustomed to a high level of production quality and park staff leveraging technology in unique environments. These challenges led PORTS to Jabra, whose innovative audio and video technology creates seamless collaboration, regardless of where participants are located.

Utilizing BlueParrott headsets like the C400-XT in the noisiest environments, park staff were able to limit background distractions and create a more engaging audio stream for students tuning in from afar. The headset let in just the right amount of ambient noise, so PORTScasts feel realistic without being drowned out by what’s happening in the background. Long lasting battery life helped to keep experts connected, no matter how deep into a park they ventured or how many PORTScasts for students they conduct. The headsets also provided hands-free and cord-free access, flexibility to wear under hats or helmets, and the durability to weather even the toughest natural environments.

Jabra and BlueParrott have helped the PORTS Program bridge the technology divide and bring to life enhanced learning experiences in unique settings. Experts in parks have facilitated engaging conversations with students without distractions from background noise and students have experienced high-quality video to bring state parks digital storytelling to life.

As more students become native to a digital world, the expectations for high production value will continue to grow. Because of this, the right tools and innovations are needed to go deeper into forests and farther into estuaries to bring students that much closer to California’s state parks.

“The right technology has been and will continue to be a key enabler for us in carrying out our mission,” Krey said. “We look forward to the future of the PORTS Program and will continue to bring California’s state parks to more students across the state – and even across the country – in new, immersive ways.”