| Introduction |
| "I
like that now during conversations my son is able to
cross-reference various animal behaviors, habitats,
etc. It's as if these experiences haven't just been
learned, but felt and absorbed." 4th grade parent. |
|
|
Introduction
to the Partnership Program
"Human beings need roots in the soil just like plants, specific
spots where kinship can be established. Even if in later life
it exists only in memory." ~ Josephine Duveneck: educator, visionary
and co-founder of Hidden Villa.
The
partnership program was designed in collaboration between
the Environmental Education Program at Hidden Villa and myself
as a way to deepen my students' relationship to their natural
environment and extend their understanding of ecology and social
justice. Over the school year we returned to Hidden Villa three
times to celebrate the change in seasons and focus our explorations
on increasingly complex ecological concepts.
Back
in class I integrated my students' experiences into our academic
work. Some projects acted to validate my students' self-discoveries
within their relationship to Hidden Villa. Others built on
their "field" observations to present life science
content in an
accessible manner. Towards the end of the school year, many
projects supported my students budding sense of ecological
responsibility. All of our integrated curriculum both facilitated
my delivery of the academic content mandated by the state
standards
and developed a close sense of community within my class.
This
Partnership Program was well documented by Hidden
Villa's program evaluator and became the center of my
master's thesis. All involved (including my students) agree:
my students reaped many academic, social, emotional and
artistic
benefits
from
our collaboration
while also deepening their ecological understanding
of and commitment to their local environment.
Hidden
Villa would now like to invite other schools committed to the
academic, social and ecological development of their students
to become Partner Schools. This partnership can offer wonderful
benefits to both your teachers and students, but
requires significant dedication of time, energy, creativity,
passion and funds. If you are interested in this program,
please read through the details presented in this section and
then contact Chris Overington, Hidden Villa's director of
community
programs,
at: coverington@hiddenvilla.org |
