Kingston Guided Recess Pilot a Big Hit

I want to offer you a quick update on our growing work in the Kingston City School District.

This spring, we ran a pilot of our “Wild Earth Guided Recess” program and we (and the school district) are thrilled with the initial results!

For eight days this April & May, approximately five hundred 5^th and 6^th graders at Kingston’s Miller Middle School spent their recess learning, playing and exploring with Wild Earth instructors. Guided recess is a key feature of our four-year “Kingston Middle School Nature Connection and Experiential Education” project and we are very excited that the pilot was such a success.

Wild Earth’s Guided Recess: All children deserve to play every day!

At guided recess, inspiring leaders and excellent role models meet students as they enter the recess playground.

There, they are offered the opportunity to play an engaged ball game, join a drumming circle, make cordage with natural materials, learn to juggle, or search for and sample wild edibles.

Every student is a unique individual with specific needs and wants for their important free time.

At Wild Earth’s “Guided Recess,” each can find what peaks their interest, and all can feel included. In the process, students cultivate character, confidence, passion and perseverance while growing physically, socially and emotionally.

Guided Recess photos by Kate Heidecker.

PS: We’re also super excited to be continuing our partnership with the Kingston City School District and Scenic Hudson to bring more than two hundred and fifty 6^th graders from Kingston’s Bailey Middle School into the woods this spring (for the 2nd year in a row) for our Springing Into Nature program.

Wild Earth’s 4-Year Kingston Middle School Nature Connection and Experiential Education Project:

Scheduled to begin in the fall of 2017, through 20 contact days each year the project expects to achieve the following outcomes:

1. Develop and nurture the inner character of participants through activities that enhance gratitude, empathy, curiosity, passion and purpose.

2. Strengthen and support the social health and wellbeing of participants through activities that encourage positive behavior and enhance authentic connection and relationship building.

3. Regenerate healthy and whole communities by encouraging participants to practice strong leadership oriented toward community service and good citizenship.