Outdoor Education Builds Character And A Passion For Learning
Outdoor education programs are a great means for California residents to enjoy a wide variety of incredible natural resources from the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the Channel Islands. Visiting such places is a wonderful opportunity for students to receive the inspiration to inspire them in their academic pursuits. Many times youth walk away from our programs with a firm determination to pursue higher education and with dreams and goals for their careers.
Mountain and Sea Adventures (MSA) has been running outdoor environmental education programs in California for nearly twenty years, with campuses in such breathtaking and prestigious locations as Big Bear and Catalina Island. MSA has a unique passion and focus on increasing awareness of the marine environment by leading hands-on activities in and on the water, and giving students the chance to discuss amongst themselves possible solutions and alternatives to various threats to the Ocean environment.
MSA’s Outdoor Education Curriculum and Activities
One of the most unique aspects of MSA’s outdoor education curriculum and activities is the focus on imparting altruistic personality traits and building character. Each activity in our program emphasizes a core value such as courage and perseverance. Camp counselors teach and model these values while structuring safe opportunities for each student to break their fears and develop a stronger sense of self worth and confidence. After just a few days at camp, each student receives a boost of self-esteem and improved self-image.
One of the main benefits of all outdoor education activities is the hands-on nature of each lesson. Each lecture is only the introductory phase of every lab and learning session, the real education happens with the actual activity, which gives students a chance to gain first hand experience of the subject matter and discover how fin and exciting field biology truly is!
Benefits of Outdoor Education
One of the greatest benefits of outdoor education is the manner in which it immerses students in the world of natural sciences, and opens their minds to the infinite possibilities for exploring and learning about the environment surrounding them in ever more fascinating ways. Even students whom previously had no personal interest in science find them selves soon becoming deeply interested in science as a way for deepening their capacity to immerse themselves in the study and appreciation of nature.
One thing educators who take their class to camp can experience from their outdoor education experience is an improved morale and bond between your students. The activities during outdoor education science camp stretch each student to the edge of their comfort zones, and bring the whole class together in support for each other. This is the perfect opportunity to celebrate as a class at the end of your school year, or to build a sense of solidarity within your students at the beginning of the school year.
Importance of Outdoor Environmental Education
If we wish to preserve our natural resources it is absolute necessary to educate the next generation and help foster their sense of appreciation for these treasures to be enjoyed for many future generations to come. When we consider that people only conserve what they love, and they only love what they know, we can readily see the great importance of outdoor environmental education for California students. The more they are immersed in the beauty of these wild places, the more effort will be placed on preserving the various wildlife, flora and fauna, which require a very sensitive balance between nature and human civilization in order to continue to exist.
Raising awareness of the various threats to the environment allows concerned citizens to then implement a course of action to correct and repair any environmental damage. Education is the primary method for raising awareness of the environment, the importance of which cannot be overlooked.
MSA’s Environmental Education Activities and Lesson Plans
The first phase of MSA’s environmental education lesson plan is to fully immerse the campers in nature, through activities such as snorkeling, hiking, kayaking and hands on field research projects. This total immersion sparks an appreciation for nature that cannot be gained through textbooks and classroom lectures. The opportunity to get their hands dirty while conducting actual field biology research given them the chance to fully experience the natural world deeper than they have sense they were young children. This is the basis for the great excitement that comes over students as their enthusiasm and morale for participating in the environmental education activities and lesson plans is heightened with every lab.
For those seeking a powerful method for sparking a lifelong passion and appreciation for environmental and natural sciences, there is no better way than with MSA’s outdoor education programs around California.
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