Open your students eyes...
I grew up in southern California going to the beach every week of the summer. When we were not basking in the sun or splashing in the water, I was participating in some outdoor activity. Whether I was playing an organized sport, building forts in the backyard, or camping with my family I was either forced or wanted to be outside. Each summer we would pack our minivan and head to Yosemite National Park. It was our happy place. We would set up tents, hike, swim, bike and enjoy the beauty the park had to offer. It showed me what the world was about and allowed me the opportunity to appreciate the outdoors and its beauty. As I walk around the lunch room and I talk with students about the upcoming 5th grade outdoor education camp, I am surprised that this will be the first time for many that they will go for a hike. Being an avid hiker with my own kids, I am always surprised to hear that most families don't do this. Each time I hear about never being exposed to the outdoors, it p