Photo: Tanya Manfrediz
One of the biggest advantages to outdoor environmental and science education is the activation of the five senses in the learning process. They are sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste, the primary means we use to gain new knowledge. And we rarely experience with one sense alone. It is only when our senses work together that they give us a complete picture of an experience.
Connecting our students to Biscayne Bay through a virtual classroom is, as you can imagine, challenging, especially if they’ve not previously seen or experienced the bay up close. But they have all been outdoors in nature and so, as we begin our virtual presentation, we take a moment to close our eyes and remember a particular experience somewhere in nature - on a beach, in the Glades, wherever. Guided through multi-sensory visualization, we connect, or rather re-connect our students to a natural mindset outside the classroom, far from the digital screen we rely on to "transport" them to Biscayne Bay. It is here that the learning experience begins.
Nonprofit organizations, including Blue Scholars Initiative, are challenged more than ever during this global pandemic and economic crisis. Without these programs, the greater loss is suffered by the youth who miss out on the experience and the unique learning opportunity. Thankfully, YOU can help!