Participating in WYP pushed me out of my comfort zone, helped me free my mind, face my fears, and believe that I could conquer it all! Being out in nature with no barriers and only endless possibilities has that effect on adults and children. There are no rules, no walls, no limits. That is what the teens in PAL who participate in WYP learn, and why they return weekly without fail – it’s an experience like no other that they share with their family.
Being out of doors in nature connects us with all things and teaches us how to listen. It offers the gift of understanding interdependence, appreciation, and hopefully the nurturing of our environment and each other.
Our family values our time spent in nature together. Wilderness Youth Project has provided our daughter with opportunities to explore her own backyard in Ellwood…to learn about the plants, to climb with confidence, and to play by the ocean. She comes home energized and excited to share her discoveries, and to lead our family back out to spend time in her special outdoor places.
Of the many high-quality programs offered to students in the area, bridge to nature has by far been the most engaging, informative and inspiring. Their lessons of local nature, the environment, and the natural wonders surrounding them everyday, provide learning that schools alone cannot provide. Thank you WYP!
WYP gives kids the opportunity to connect with nature and each other. Through learning how to interact with the natural world, they better understand the wonder of the world around them and develop confidence in their ability to learn, grow, and face new challenges.
Nature brings a sense of balance to my family’s life. The connection is innate and embedded. Our work with WYP has given students the gifts of reflection, gratitude, relationship, and a forum for learning that extends beyond four cement corners. I love to see our students recognition of the necessity of balance and their connection to the natural environment.
Wilderness Youth Project is doing exactly what I’ve been talking about for the last twenty years as I work with educators towards outdoor education. You hit every single point I discuss as criteria for an effective outdoor education program.
Nature teaches things to my kids that can’t be found in the classroom or a book. Nature also compliments everything they learn at school. Help us build a bridge to nature for our public schools.
It starts with newborns and never fails – stepping outside calms the human soul. Nature connection brings balance to a world of man-made self-fixation – it pops our little bubbles of “Look at me!”
Nature ain’t always safe – I like the reality of that.
A connection with nature is core to humanity. Modern society, our reliance on technology, and the built world have increasingly made the outdoors feel almost unnatural for many people. Wilderness Youth Project builds a bridge from a world that sometimes seems like it’s gone crazy to the natural world where children can better explore who they are truly meant to be.
