Just For Kids
FOR TEACHERS
Appalachian Trail Conservancy Join the Journey
A TRAIL TO EVERY CLASSROOM
A Place-Based Professional Development Workshop Series Connecting Communities Along the Appalachian Trail Promoting Resource Stewardship, Recreation and Community Engagement.
Modeled after a Forest for Every Classroom in Vermont, a Trail to Every Classroom (TTEC) is a three-season, multi-disciplinary professional development series for educators aimed at providing the inspiration, knowledge and skills to transform classroom teaching into effective and exciting place-based education.
Teachers who participate in TTEC develop their own curriculum that increases student literacy skills and fosters student understanding of and appreciation for the public lands and resources connected by the 2175 miles of the Appalachian Trail. These curricula integrate hands-on study of the natural and cultural resources of communities from Georgia to Maine addressing concepts in ecology, sense of place, recreation, volunteerism and civics.
At the heart of TTEC is the belief that students who are immersed in the interdisciplinary study of their own "place" are more eager to be involved in the stewardship of their communities and public lands. The 2002 Independent Sector report, "Engaging Youth in Lifelong Service," states, "Adults who began volunteering as youth are twice as likely to give time as they grow older." A recent report from the Corporation for National and Community Service, "Youth Helping America," also suggests that volunteering is a learned social behavior.
As a teaching strategy that promotes volunteerism by linking curriculum with community service and fulfilling education goals as well as the needs of community organizations, we believe service-learning will promote civic engagement in Trail communities, ultimately sustaining volunteer management of the Appalachian Trail.
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"The Trail to Every Classroom program engages young people in nature. It brings together Trail managers, teachers, and children, allowing a safe pace to engage in physical exercise, explore nature, learn about the Trail as a natural and cultural resource, and collectively get their hands dirty. This is exactly the kind of program we need to see more of as a way to connect children to nature."
Richard Louv, Author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder, 2005.
"Before I came I thought of [the AT] as a very individual thing. I might go out and hike on it, and I thought of it as for 'me.' Now it's something that I can't wait to go out and share with the kids, with the community. I want other people to see what a great resource it is." - 2006 Participant
FOR KIDS
Teen Activity Guide for:
Harpers Ferry Park
Blue Ridge Parkway
Delaware Water Gap
Appalachian Trail In Depth
News from the Parks
Civil Rights Leaders Declare Fundraising Success for the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
December 4, 2008 - 3:10pm
Civil rights leaders gathered Wednesday to declare that they had finally overcome their money obstacles and raised more than $100 million to build the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial near the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall.
December 4, 2008 - 3:10pm
Civil rights leaders gathered Wednesday to declare that they had finally overcome their money obstacles and raised more than $100 million to build the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial near the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall.
Wildlife Biologist Cites Reasons Behind Bear Attacks
December 4, 2008 - 3:08pm
Great Smoky Mountains National Park wildlife biologist Bill Stiver said bear management and education of the public must take place in order to decrease harmful bear and human encounters.
December 4, 2008 - 3:08pm
Great Smoky Mountains National Park wildlife biologist Bill Stiver said bear management and education of the public must take place in order to decrease harmful bear and human encounters.
Park Develops Plan to Preserve Outcrops
December 4, 2008 - 3:05pm
Shenandoah National Park asked for comments on a study it did on how people affect rock outcrops and the rare vegetation that grows on them. Visitors have damaged some popular rock outcrops and the park is trying to decide how to best protect pristine areas while still allowing visitors to enjoy them.
December 4, 2008 - 3:05pm
Shenandoah National Park asked for comments on a study it did on how people affect rock outcrops and the rare vegetation that grows on them. Visitors have damaged some popular rock outcrops and the park is trying to decide how to best protect pristine areas while still allowing visitors to enjoy them.
White House Christmas Tree Lighting Closes Streets, Limits Parking
December 4, 2008 - 3:04pm
D.C. police are warning travelers of street closures near the White House during the afternoon rush hour for the lighting of the National Christmas tree.
December 4, 2008 - 3:04pm
D.C. police are warning travelers of street closures near the White House during the afternoon rush hour for the lighting of the National Christmas tree.
Officials Prepare for Chronic Wasting in Deer
December 4, 2008 - 3:01pm
Chronic wasting disease, a contagious neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer, could devastate local deer populations, and National Park Service officials want to be prepared if the disease makes its way inside the boundaries of Monocacy and Antietam national battlefields.
December 4, 2008 - 3:01pm
Chronic wasting disease, a contagious neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer, could devastate local deer populations, and National Park Service officials want to be prepared if the disease makes its way inside the boundaries of Monocacy and Antietam national battlefields.
