Comments on: Weekend Warrior http://outdoorism.net Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:25:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Kate C http://outdoorism.net/lifemaps/weekend-warrior/comment-page-1/#comment-12 Kate C Fri, 18 Jul 2008 19:13:07 +0000 http://www.outdoorism.com/?page_id=13#comment-12 It does seem that schools have traditionally put "adventure" on the back-burner for kids. I suppose it might be hard to keep a group of rowdy school children safe in the wilderness - ask any scout leader! But there are a few schools that are coming around. In the Fort Collins school district, there is a highschool PE class offered called "Adventure Sports" where the kids are taken mountain biking, hiking and rock climbing. Near my house, there was a small charter school (7th-12th grades) that offered an "Adventure" curriculum. Students went on week-long trips between 3-5 times a year. Each of these trips included full days of class work in the outdoors, similar to a NOLS program. Unfortunately they were bought out by the FtC school district and the school is now closed. <a href="http://www.nols.edu/courses/locations/rockymtn/rockiesfallsemestergen.shtml" rel="nofollow">NOLS</a>, however, is another option. College students can earn credit for their Semester in the Rockies, Semester in the Southwest or Semester on the Borders programs. I wish I'd known about that in college! So yes, many schools, families, and institutions do relegate time spent around nature to hobbies or extra-curriculars. But, I think, and hope, that short sightedness is changing a bit. It does seem that schools have traditionally put “adventure” on the back-burner for kids. I suppose it might be hard to keep a group of rowdy school children safe in the wilderness – ask any scout leader!

But there are a few schools that are coming around. In the Fort Collins school district, there is a highschool PE class offered called “Adventure Sports” where the kids are taken mountain biking, hiking and rock climbing.

Near my house, there was a small charter school (7th-12th grades) that offered an “Adventure” curriculum. Students went on week-long trips between 3-5 times a year. Each of these trips included full days of class work in the outdoors, similar to a NOLS program. Unfortunately they were bought out by the FtC school district and the school is now closed.

NOLS, however, is another option. College students can earn credit for their Semester in the Rockies, Semester in the Southwest or Semester on the Borders programs. I wish I’d known about that in college!

So yes, many schools, families, and institutions do relegate time spent around nature to hobbies or extra-curriculars. But, I think, and hope, that short sightedness is changing a bit.

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