I teach science and social studies in a high needs urban setting. My students are multi-cultural coming from Mexico, Yemen, Honduras, Algeria, El Salvador, and Romania to name but a few. Ninety-five percent of our children qualify for free lunch.
With our children facing an Environmental catastrophe never before faced, it is all that much more important that they be prepared. Much has been made of the lack of connection between today's children and the environment. The word "deprivation" has been used and with good reason. This is even more true of the poorest of children who will also be the most affected by future climate changes and the problems that accompany them.
Studies have shown that for a child to develop a love of the environment two things are required: 1)an outdoor space and the opportunity to freely explore and 2) an adult who shares their love of the Earth. I can certainly provide the latter. The former is more tricky with their space so limited and their "fun" centered on video games.
Because these children have little experience with outdoor exploration, they need a little incentive. I would like to provide them with "Explorer Packs" to be signed out in the evening or for weekends. We can include the tools they need to fully explore the area they live in and then allow them to share their discoveries with their teacher and classmates. This will provide them with both the opportunity to interact with the living world (plants, animals) and develop a better understanding that they share the world with things they might not have considered important.
The more they experience the outdoors, the more they will enjoy it and, hopefully, come to love it. This is how stewardship begins.
With your help, we can create a new group of social activists: Urban Children. As a group they are routinely ignored, written off as not having potential. In spite of this, they are the ones who will suffer the most as our resources are depleted. Who better to fight for the protection of those resources than they? It all begins with developing that relationship between the child and the earth. I promise, my project will accomplish that goal.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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