While many studies have investigated environmental education programs, fewer have focused on the longer-term effects of these interventions. This study provides insight into the longer-term influences of an earth education summer camp in Nova Scotia, Canada. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview process with seven parents of…

Building from the theories of Dewey and Kolb and Fry, we sought to examine the impact of experiential education in teacher education on teacher beliefs and practices. The teacher education model described in this article sets out to challenge the seduction of the apprenticeship of observation and create an opportunity for in-service teachers to…

Parents and children are rapidly adopting mobile technologies, yet designs for mobile devices that serve a communication function to connect parents to children's out-of-school time activities are limited. As a result, our team designed the Digital Postcard Maker so that children attending summer camps can create digital photographs to send…

Construction of developmentally appropriate tools for assessing the environmental attitudes and awareness of young learners has proven to be challenging. Art-based assessments that encourage creativity and accommodate different modes of expression may be a particularly useful complement to conventional tools (e.g. surveys), but their efficacy and…

This issue presents a summary of the 1976 Sierra Club Outings. Brief descriptions are given of each outing including the dates, costs, deposits, and leaders. The outings offered include knapsack trips, ski touring, underwater exploration, foreign trips, bicycle trips, and burro trips. (MR)

Presents an overview of programs conducted in earth and environmental education in Nova Scotia. Describes programs offered by the Halifax Outdoor Centre, the HeartWood Institute, and Peak Experiences, providing outdoor and adventure experiences to elementary and secondary school students and adults. (CDS)

To have a successful nature program, summer camp directors must hire qualified nature counselors, give the program equal status with other activities, promote the program to prospective campers and their parents, and incorporate environmental ethics. Included are suggestions for developing an appealing and relevant nature program. (LP)

The effect of a 1-week sportfishing and environmental curriculum on participants' (aged 9-14) knowledge of fishing and biology/ecology, awareness of ethical behavior, and attitudes was assessed with 127 completed pre-/post-surveys. The program developed fishing and biology/ecology knowledge, but did not affect ethical behavior awareness or…

Describes the Wolf Creek Nature Camp environmental education program that integrates awareness of the natural environment, knowledge of environmental concepts and issues, and action on environmental problems. The two-week program raises campers' self-esteem; increases their interest in, and curiosity about, nature; and fosters outdoor skills. (MDH)

Female elementary students were measured for awareness and use of senses. An experimental group received perception training and a control did not. Results indicated that perception training increased the pleasure associated with the environmental encounter, the number of different senses used, and general awareness of the environment. (Author/MA)

Discusses various program activities at New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) camps, including environmental workshops which foster exploration, discovery, and skill development. Highlights recreational and evening activities for the one-week camping experience for 12 to 17 year olds. (JN)

To prepare students for attending school out-of-doors, this manual addresses the student directly. Topics covered in the first part of the manual include the Outdoor School site, the school staff, living at the Outdoor School, studying in the Outdoor School, fun at the school, and a brief paragraph of initial preparation for the Outdoor School.…

An amputee and her mother discuss their views of camping. Handicapped persons must accept their disabilities but avoid using them as an excuse for not participating in camp activities. "I guess you only realize it when you go to a place like camp--How normal you really are." (Author/WB)

This paper describes the partial results of a research project which investigated conceptions of nature and the role of place in environmental education in children who attended Camp Arowhon. Through interviews and observations, utilizing a hybrid research drawing from phenomenography and ethnography, local common wild animals emerged as playing…

The District of Columbia Public Schools Nature Computer Camp (NCC) is an environmental/computer program which has been operating in the Catoctin Mountain Park (Maryland) since 1983. The camp operates for five one-week sessions serving a total of 406 regular sixth-grade students representing 84 elementary schools with an average of 81 students per…