Pine Valley Outdoor Science Camp partnered with Grades of Green in their LAUNCH program. Students who attend camp with their school can now be involved in projects that teach environmental science and student leadership. New activities include classroom recycling, composting at meals, water conservation, and adopting a spot which students are challenged to keep litter-free.
A new outdoor class is titled “Waste Awareness” and is a collaborative effort between Grades of Green and Pine Valley Outdoor Science Camp. With this curriculum, students learn which items can be recycled and composted, how long it takes for various materials to decompose, and conduct a waste audit by dissecting a bag of trash originally destined for the landfill.
“I was excited to find out about Grades of Green just recently, and signed up for their LAUNCH program right away,” said Jessica Lippe, the program and education manager at Pine Valley Outdoor Science Camp in a press release. “They provide free curriculum and stipends to K-12 educational programs and seem to align with a lot of the nature-based science goals we already have established at Pine Valley Outdoor Science Camp.”
Grades of Green’s LAUNCH program is designed to empower students with the leadership skills and support they need to turn their environmental dreams for their community into reality. Through successful completion of this project, Grades of Green will grant Pine Valley Outdoor Science Camp an educational stipend. Pine Valley Outdoor Science Camp intends to reinvest these funds into their program and further their partnership with Grades of Green, with future goals to plant trees and create an edible garden as student-led service projects.
Pine Valley Outdoor Science Camp is available to public schools, private schools, and organized homeschool groups. Students attend overnight field trips where they get to experience the camp fun of zip lining, rock climbing, archery, and laser tag alongside outdoor education classes. In addition to the curriculum from Grades of Green’s LAUNCH program, Pine Valley Outdoor Science Camp offers classes in geology, electricity, entomology, meteorology, engineering, art, and more.
“Our students love Pine Valley because of the interesting, hands-on instruction and fun variety of activities. We’ve also enjoyed the comfortable accommodations, safe environment, and helpful staff. The camp is in a quiet, peaceful location surrounded by beautiful nature- a perfect place to get away from the busyness of regular school and to learn outdoors” stated University Christian Academy sixth grade teacher Jennifer Aguilar.
Pine Valley Outdoor Science Camp is a nonprofit outdoor education program for 4th-12th grade classes. Its goal is to provide students with a greater appreciation of the natural world through hands-on discovery, careful observation, critical thinking, and tying the subjects they study in school with real-world application. Classes about science, leadership, and teamwork create unforgettable experiences. For more information, visit PineValleyOutdoorScience.com.