The Great Valley Center has prepared scenarios for the three regions that compose the Great Central Valley. The scenarios have been written to exhibit the interplay between community decisions and external forces. The four stories for each region vary in their predictions of the quality of life Valley residents may experience in the future. Some scenarios suggest that a bright future will result from the collaboration among groups within the community. Other scenarios are less optimistic about the future and the actions of the characters detail the path taken to arrive at these ends.

It is hoped that these scenarios and corresponding lesson plans will be used to spark discussion in your classroom and challenge young people to become more civically engaged. Convincing these future leaders and decision makers that they have the power to avoid the unacceptable scenarios through their actions will lead to a quality of life in 2025 that we may all enjoy.

When deciding what activities to incorporate in your lesson plans you may want to focus on the scenarios from your region. The three regions of the Central Valley are:

The North Valley - Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Shasta and Tehama counties.

The Sacramento Region - El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties.

The San Joaquin Valley - Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tulare counties.