Help 75 Students Become Earth Keepers

Our fall Earth Keepers program is off to a great start at several area schools. We have a diverse group of students this year. One school has several students who have moved here from China in the last few months! This group of students help each other understand what the activities entail, and are eager to learn about the environment here. I am sure this must be a big challenge for them as it is for us to figure out if we are getting our points across with such a huge language barrier.

It is great to see them so excited about being in the woods, learning from each other, and making so many discoveries. We teach skills that involve all their senses so they learn through experience and also by questioning.  All of the students enjoy practicing sneaking like a fox through the woods, or finding treasures.  I have a dried mushroom one of the new students, Greg, found and handed me with pride, insisting that "I keep" it as a gift.  

One of our seasoned students that started in the program last year never talked or wanted to be "it" in our skill practicing games.  This year he raised his hand when we asked who wanted to test their skills by being "it".  He also opened up and shared a story about exploring his neighborhood and finding a beaver dam and other signs.  This never happened last year.  It touched me so deeply to see him try so hard and feel comfortable in the community we try to create. 

Each day we end with a closing circle. Students have a chance to share something about the day, often by just uttering one word.  I wait with baited breath as these students that I am not sure I have reached, take a while but come up with a word or phrase that says it all like: wonder, explore, tree, mystery.  One student, Ted said, "I like learning about different nature here.  Not same as China." That quote puts a smile on my face that carries me home at the end of the day.  

Thank you for supporting this program so we can reach even more diverse students, a number of students have special needs or come from other countries and trying their best to be a part of ours. 

Don't forget Giving Tuesday on Tuesday, December 2!  Every donation you make to one of our children's programs on GlobalGiving will be matched 100% by Microsoft beginning at 9:00 AM.  Matching funds will go quickly so donate between 9:00 and 9:30 AM for the best chance of being matched.