For many, part of being a child means having the opportunity to learn with the help of a hands-on approach. For example, when students used those yellow plastic cubes to learn to count and those colorful geometric blocks to learn shapes and how they could be combined to make larger ones.
It’s a common belief that, to keep them occupied in their learning, young ones should be thoroughly engaged.
Field School, a new program available to kindergarteners through third graders in attendance at any Northview elementary school, takes that belief several steps further.
According to their website, the program allows students to master their core subjects in an environment that encourages their curiosity and sense of adventure in an outdoor setting.
Coordinator of Outdoor Experiences Rich Youngberg, who leads several outdoor-based programs in the district, has proven to be a great asset to Field School, especially when the district’s Field School began to take shape.
Since the program’s introduction in the 2018-2019 school year, Youngberg spends the majority of his working day interacting with the Field School students, who have adapted to the new learning environment.
“We have found that our students are more engaged with content they touch, feel and see everyday,” Youngberg said.
He also explained that the outdoor setting helps to fully immerse the children in education and to influence them into making the discoveries of the answers to their many questions.
The website also states that the students will develop the ability to learn from the natural world as if it were a textbook.
Senior Colleen O’Connor, a SEALS student, has been visiting nearly every day since the start of the school year. As a student of a more traditional education, the transition was a bit odd, but she enjoys the experience all the same.
“The first week of school, I remember showing up and the kids were putting tents together,” O’Connor said. “Just recently, they built a fort in the lower field.”
In addition to these adventures, the kids occasionally take trips to the nearby Dean Lake, where they learn about and observe their surroundings.
“This program is a great alternative environment for kids to learn in,” O’Connor said. “It allows for the kids to be outside more and learn a lot about their environment, nature and safeness.”
Those involved hope to continue the program into the future and to develop it into allowing more students of other ages to participate, though nothing can be confirmed yet.
