At the heart of Barefootprint Outdoor Adventures is a deep passion for environmental education and the outdoors.  We believe in the benefits that these provide to our children, and how it can mold them into better decision makers of tomorrow. 

Why environmental education?

In this time of disposabe materials, water shortage and global warming, a familiarity with pressing environmental issues is important to ensure enough resources are left for the future of our children.  And who better to impart this knowledge to than the children themselves.

While an obvious effect of environmental education is creating stewards of the environment, studies have shown that is has more benefits to children than most of us would have expected:

Improved social and personal skills

In California, an Outdoor Environmental Education Program was designed to "foster stewardship of the environment and an appreciation of the importance of the wise use of natural resources."  A 2005 study by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) on sixth-grade students revealed that participants in this program showed positive gains in self-esteem, cooperation, leadership, conflict resolution and relationship with the teacher immediately after participation.  Six to ten weeks later, children who attended the program showed significant gains in leadership and conflict resolution. 

Better performance in school

In 2000, the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation (NEETF) conducted case studies of different schools who have adopted environmental education as the central focus of their academic programs.  The results of these studies revealed that in those schools, students have shown significant performance improvements in reading, math, science and social studies.  Also, increased student motivation in understanding the complexities of their world were observed in all the schools studied.

Fosters discipline

In the same study by NEETF, it was revealed that virtually all teachers in all the schools studied noted improved student behaviour in the classroom.  Formerly disruptive students were said to have "found themselves" in the hands-on approach of environmental education.

Builds leadership qualities

Environmental-based education programs often entail critical thinking, working with partners or in teams, hands-on activities, and formulating strategies for real-world applications.  A 2001 report by the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) and NEETF points out the contributions of these strategies to a student's leadership skills.  These include promotion of inclusion and teamwork, acceptance of a diversity of opinions, active participation, alternative views in problem solving, taking the long term view, taking actions for the larger good, and a sense of making a difference to the world.  And because environmental education is inquiry-based, it is also great for developing critical thinking and decision-making.

Enhances workplace skills

The same report by NAAEE and NEEFT discusses how environmental education can help students long after they stepped out of the classroom.  Environmental-based education prepares students  for work because it lets them deal with real-world problems, allows them to see projects through from start to finish, promotes teamwork and is oriented in community service.  It also gives students the opportunity to "try on" careers as they deal with real-world issues and interact with experts in the field.

Why go outdoors?

The author Edward Abbey once wrote, "It is not enough to fight for the environment; it is equally as important to enjoy it."  At Barefootprint, we believe in the importance of interacting with the environment to develop a better appreciation for it.  This reaffirms our commitment to the protection of our natural resources by allowing us to actually see and feel what is there to protect.

Going outdoors benefits the mind as well.  Research done by psychology researchers from the University of Michigan in 2008 found out that interacting with nature can help improve memory and attention by as much as 20 percent.  Even just viewing pictures of nature can yield the same positive effect.  This demonstrates "the restorative value of nature as a vehicle to improve cognitive functioning".

These are just some of the things that can be gained from learning about the environment and having a hands-on experience with it.  Not mentioned in any study, but not to be forgotten, is the fact that it's also a lot of fun.  So come and join us in our fun-filled, educational and outdoor adventures.  It's good for your kids.  Not to mention their future.

References:

Want to participate in Earth Hour (Sat 28 March, 8.30pm-9.30pm) but wondering what to do with the kids? Here are some ideas:

Hold a Family Meeting 

Ok, so switching off the lights for an hour is symbolic, but what about all the other hours in the week, month and years? Hold a candlelight family meeting to discuss why Earth Hour is happening, and brainstorm some activities you can do all year round to help protect Mother Nature and all her creatures (including us humans!)

Here are some suggestions to get you started: unplug appliances when not in use – (especially those with stand-by lights); turn off the tap when brushing teeth; bring reusable bags to the grocery store; segregate waste etc.

Later on, the kids can create a poster with the activities and you can post on the refrigerator or behind the toilet door as a nice reminder.