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Organization	Piedmont Wildlife Center
Region	United States
Website	Website
Facebook	N/A
Twitter	N/A
ProjectLeader	Noelle Rizzieri

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This project allows us to grant over 75 elementary school children scholarships to participate in a weekly after school program during 2019-20. Children will be connected with nature through hands-on activities alleviating their fear of being outside, inspire them to help protect the environment, build friendships, and to live within nature in a more sustainable way. The students will also learn to give back to the community by completing a service project at the end of the school year.

Challenge

Young people are becoming disconnected from their natural world. This lack of nature is linked to some disturbing childhood trends, such as the rises in obesity, attention disorders, and depression. Public school requirements are contributing to a K-12 environmental literacy gap by reducing nature education in schools. Its testing for core subjects is causing schools to eliminate nature education. This project brings nature to over 300 students & will be expanded to 3 new schools each year.

Long-Term Impact

This project will educate over 100 elementary school students so they are connected to their community and nature, becoming stewards of their environment. Our school-based afterschool program has been extended to 5 schools! We have expanded our programs to another Durham school, one in Carrboro, and are planning programs at an elementary and middle school in Orange County.