Students from Olde Orchard Alternative Elementary School recently ditched the classroom for a hands-on learning adventure at Grange Insurance Audubon Center, as reported by the school's website. Amidst the downtown Columbus skyline, these young explorers encountered the vibrancy of nature up close, with activities ranging from catching bluegills to observing the local birdlife.
During this interactive experience snuggled between the Scioto River and city skyscrapers, students encountered wildlife first-hand, which is a change from the usual textbook education — but catching fish and handling insects is what the Summer Experience at CCS aims to provide, fostering a real-world connection to academic lessons. According to a statement from the CCS website, students engaged in multi-sensory science exploration through activities like tiptoeing through tall grasses, gasping at the sight of fish in the water, and studying the dance of butterflies and honeybees among the flowers.
Environmental education isn't a stranger to these students, as they've visited the Audubon Center multiple times through the Conservation Classroom program, a partnership for environmental instruction in classrooms. The Summer Experience, however, elevates this education by turning it into a tangible and enjoyable endeavor. "I caught two bluegills!" exclaimed Neiko Trent, an incoming third grader, sharing his excitement with CCS's coverage of the event.
These firsthand experiences are important, not least because they instill a love for nature in the young — Anne Scott from Audubon Center emphasized in an interview that to protect the environment, one must first love it after all, and the Summer Experience is doing just that by throwing kids into the thick of things, like Neiko who learned about fish and butterflies and experienced the joy of almost catching a frog. The Audubon Center, an unexpected sanctuary against the backdrop of the city, serves as an ideal place where they can draw these connections. Camille Jackson, an intervention aide, further echoed the sentiment, "This was a really great way to show students that learning can happen anywhere," she told CCS.
As the day concluded, students enthusiastically shared their discoveries, validating the program's ability to turn education into an engaging experience. Justin Stevens, a rising fifth grader, shared with CCS that he also caught fish and bees and learned about the different senses, while his younger brother, Isaias, encountered wildlife he'd never seen before. Echoing the program's success, Greg Gualtieri, a teacher at Liberty Elementary School, noted in his remarks to CCS that the smaller class sizes and informal atmosphere of the Summer Experience allowed for a richer learning experience.
