Southern Canton Scholars have focused on learning with nature, not just about nature. The school's outdoor education program has led scholars to academic excellence and promoted an interest in nature. Two years into its implementation, he says, academics and educators alike are seeing the impact of taking the classroom outdoors.
major
“I think this program is important, and I think with all the technology and things that have happened since COVID-19, students and kids can’t play outside like they used to,” Gurganus said. . “Giving children the opportunity to be outside leads to good growth and development, it’s good for their mental health and since COVID-19, giving children the opportunity to be outside in nature is good for their growth and development. It was a great opportunity to have.”
While the South Canton Outdoor Education Program has been an overwhelming success for Mr. Gurganus and his leadership team, academics also bought into this unique learning experience.
“My kids love being outside,” Gurganus said. “My kids always love being outside. They can't wait to be outside. No matter what the weather is, my kids are outside.”
Rain or shine, nature has always been the best visual aid for learning. Scholars learned about leaf color change, camouflage, pollination, water systems and more while providing real-life examples in an outdoor classroom. Other projects include pumpkin launches and baby duck hatchings.
This program is not just part of the school, it is integrated into the lesson plan. One of Gurganus' desired goals when implementing outdoor education was for each class to be outdoors for his 15 minutes per day. Academics and teachers use the grounds behind the school, which is filled with an active waterway, the Lower River Rouge, and includes outdoor desks.
Enthusiasm for environmental studies was so strong that this year the school began offering a new class called Environmental Engineering.library technology specialist
“When outdoor education occurs, the roles of student and teacher are reversed,” Hahn said. “Students ask lots of questions and want to spark conversation. I say much less and students are able to observe, talk, analyze and come up with questions and answers on their own. There have been many.”
No wonder, since students are in the driver's seat of their own education.
A new environmental engineering class inspired academics to pursue careers in the natural environment industry, an ambition that began with a simple lesson on sampling water.
“I explain to my students that some of what they do in these lessons is related to real work,” Hahn said. “For them, they think they're playing and they don't understand that there's engineering behind it. There's math and science behind it. Knowing they can do this for the rest of their lives. When they do, they get very excited.”
National Heritage Academy (NHA) is a network of 101 tuition-free public charter schools across nine states, serving more than 68,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade.th School year. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/outdoor-education-capturing-attention-inspiring-south-canton-scholars-302121043.html
sauce National Heritage Academy