What it's all about

OBJECTIVE
Inspire elementary school students to be stewards of the earth.

SITUATION
The future of the environment is in the hands of our youth. They will be the businesspeople and policy makers who make the decisions that either preserve or destroy the planet. In a time when people are becoming further removed from nature, it is crucial for us to help children reconnect with the earth, to understand what it means to be connected to everything else. What does it feel like to take a deep breath of fresh air? To dig into rich soil with our fingers? To gaze at a bright blue sky and make shapes out of clouds? To rest in the shade of an ancient oak tree? By connecting to the earth, children can begin to understand how their actions affect the environment. Experiences in nature enrich the lives of our children in more ways than one and are essential to their wellbeing and development. Increasing physical activity, encouraging creative play, and improving self-esteem are all effects of spending ample time outside. Children will be inspired to make a commitment to protect the planet once they establish a deep, long-lasting, emotional connection to the earth through these experiences.

While some schools incorporate environmental values into their curriculum, and many non-profit organizations provide both lesson plans and experiential nature programs, children are still not getting enough consistent education about the environment, or access to nature. How will children be inspired to take care of the earth if they have such a limited experience in the wilderness?

SOLUTION
TeachingGreen will encourage responsibility, exploration, and cooperation, and be designed to stimulate interaction between adults and children. The goals are to:
* Get kids as excited about the environment as they are about Pokemon and Harry Potter.
* Deliver a green message that is impactful, and cuts through the clutter of marketing and consumerism.
* Create a program that is both fun enough for kids and sophisticated enough for adults to enjoy.

TeachingGreen is a project that actively engages kids in positive outdoor experiences. By drawing upon the expertise of educators, non-profit programs, and parents, and by getting feedback from kids themselves, I will create a comprehensive set of tools that will generate a commitment to protecting the earth. These tools may include books, interactive toolkits, posters, pamphlets, and an interactive website. Ultimately, this will be a project that can either stand on its own, or be tailored for use within a classroom or a non-profit’s program.
While there is no substitute for hands-on interaction with nature and the environment, a creatively designed project will enhance elementary school education, making environmentalism a lifelong priority for our future leaders.