“Every child has inside them an aching void for excitement and if we don't fill it
with something which is exciting and interesting and good for them,
they will fill it with something which is exciting and interesting
and not good for them.”
Franklin Roosevelt
Many schools are running experiential outdoor education trips, yet many do not know exactly why they are committing so much time and money to these programs. Has your school taken the time to ask some key questions?
- What are your ultimate goals and reasons for running your outdoor and experiential program?
- Have you spent time looking at the scope and sequence of your program to ensure it flows well, and that the lessons from each year are building blocks for one another?
- Are you effectively integrating the learning from the experience outside of the class back into the classroom environment and the larger school community?
- Do your staff that do not accompany the trip have a clear sense of how they can support the students when they come back to school and help support the transference of learning?
- Is your entire teaching staff aware of the purpose, vision and goals of your overarching experiential program? If not, are you willing to educate your staff so they can help nurture the softer life skills while still focusing on their academic goals?
- Have you thought about running an evening workshop or two for parents on the lessons that you are imparting to your students during your experiential education program? We feel there would be great power if schools could get their teachers and their parents to help with the transference of the lessons from the outdoor-based trips and workshops.
One of the advantages that we have at ALIVE Outdoors is that we work with several independent schools, and have gained valuable insight from each unique approach and philosophy. Simply by watching and listening over the last decade we have pocketed a wealth of knowledge. Let us help you streamline your experiential program and help you crystallize the purpose and meaning for your students.
Every school is different, and these experiences that you offer beyond the classroom walls have the potential to be extremely powerful—as long as they are created in a mindful way, with intention and meaning threaded throughout the larger picture.
