CELC spends a great deal of time learning outdoors, in all kinds of weather and all seasons.  In today’s world where environmental issues are increasingly critical to life on the planet, there is real value in being outside.

In response to the “No Child Left Behind” law, many schools have cut areas of the curriculum, such as art and environmental education, and have even eliminated recess in order to spend more time on subjects that are found on state tests. Teachers are discouraged from including field-based experiences, which provide valuable opportunities for students to engage in real-world learning and problem solving, for fear of loss of instructional time geared toward tested subjects.

In 2007, the No Child Left Inside Coalition was formed to work to put environmental education and the out-of-doors back into the curriculum. This coalition is working to pass the No Child Left Inside Act of 2011, making environmental education an integral part of every American child’s education, stressing the importance of increasing the level of environmental literacy and including field experiences into regular instruction.

The coalition describes an increasing environmental literacy gap by reducing the amount of environmental education in K-12 classrooms.

Our nation’s future relies on a well-educated public to be wise stewards of the very environment that sustains us, our families and communities, and future generations. It is environmental education that can best help us as individuals make the complex, conceptual connections between economic prosperity, benefits to society, environmental health, and our own well being. Ultimately, the collective wisdom of our citizens, gained through education, will be the most compelling and most successful strategy for environmental management.

Yet studies consistently reveal that the U.S. public suffers from a tremendous environmental literacy gap that appears to be increasing rather than decreasing. For example, two-thirds of the public fails even a basic environmental quiz and a whopping 88 percent of the public fails a basic energy quiz. These same studies found that 45 million Americans think the ocean is a source of fresh water, and 130 million believe that hydropower is America’s top energy source.

Author Richard Louv coined the term “nature deficit disorder”, in his book Last Child in the Woods.  He links the rise in obesity, depression, and attention disorders as something that happens to young people who become disconnected from their natural environments.

A recent study found that children today spend an average of 6 hours each day in front of the computer and television but less than 4 minutes a day in unstructured outdoor play, leading researchers to discover a new condition specific to this current generation that they have called “nature deficit disorder”. This extreme emphasis on indoor time spent in front of screens versus outdoor play and discovery has been correlated with negative psychological and physical effects including obesity, loneliness, depression, attention problems and greater social isolation due to reduced time with friends and family.

Environmental education is “the study of the relationships and interactions between dynamic natural and human systems”.  It connects classroom learning to the real world, employs critical thinking skills, is hands-on, inquiry driven, interdisciplinary, develops knowledge and awareness, and is relevant to students’ everyday lives.

CELC’s outdoor education experiences are a favorite of most students. While all subject areas are integrated, from compass work in math to journaling for writing to natural history, environmental education is a critical area of knowledge for future generations to understand and find solutions for resource management issues and continued environmental sustainability of our planet.

Workshop for Parents

 Connecting with Your Kids: Learning the Language of Teens

Dr. Barbara Greenberg conducts a workshop on parent/teen communication. The quantity and quality of the communication between teens and parents affects teen decision-making. Teens make healthier decisions, cope better with peer pressure, and have higher self-esteem when parents talk to them about sensitive subjects like sex and drugs.

Tuesday, 23 May at 7:00 p.m. at the Scranton Library in Madison.

To register or for more information,

contact mandm@ctexperiential.org or call 203-433-4658.

Dr. Barbara Greenberg provides practical strategies and ways to talk with teens in their own language. A clinical psychologist who specializes in the treatment of teens and their families, Dr. Barbara Greenberg is currently a professional consultant on teen issues at Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, CT and also maintains a private practice in Fairfield County, CT. Barbara is the co-author of Teenage as a Second Language – A Parent’s Guide to Becoming Bilingual. Copies of her book will be available for sale and signing after the presentation.

Open House Mondays in May – Contact us to schedule a visit!

A dynamic middle school program, CT Experiential Learning Center (CELC) of Branford provides small classes that combine exceptional academics with hands-on and real-world learning experiences to fit the academic, social, and emotional needs of  5^th – 8^th grade students.

Located at 28 School Street (2nd floor), Branford , CT

RSVP mandm@CTExperiential.org or 203-433-4658

Preparing for their video shoot at Guilford Community Television (GCTV), students gathered together to finalize their script, organize the graphics and credits, and rehearse lines.  Shannon Gale, producer at GCTV, taught students how to move from idea to script writing to the filming of their own community access TV show, guiding them through the live production.

The show titled “21^st Century Kids: the Realities of Modern Fun” will air this spring on GCTV.  Stay tuned for show times!

An art class at the Yale Center for British Art focused on paintings that related to our yearlong theme of Exploration and Discovery.  The museum houses the largest collection of British art outside the Untied Kingdom.  Students were given a tour by museum staff and also spent time observing closely some of the works and trying their hand at drawing in the same style.

Imagine 1635 when “sixteen men, their wives, children, and horses, cows and swine arrived in Hartford in October seeking a new home”; the CT History class appreciated our visit to the Old State House in Hartford. As original meetinghouse, state government, and courthouse, this building held many debates and trials, such as the trial of the Amistad and the famous Charter Oak incident, and much more. Students also enjoyed the interactive exhibits that span the state’s history from the 1600s to the present. 

During our adventure, you can stay in contact with what we do each day by logging onto the following website where we will blog about our travels on a daily basis.

http://www.sailblogs.com/member/ddsa

04/15/2012, Shroud Cay

CELC Aboard Boundless! DAY ONE 15 April 2012 Please note – as there will be no Internet connection for most of our time aboard, we will be blogging through a radio signal and will not upload photos until we get back to Nassau on Saturday. Jeff has described some of the week’s events: a visit to Allen’s Key, home to iguanas that may greet us as we come ashore; snorkeling at a sunken airplane on Norman’s Key; and exploring the Exumas. Jeff describes that he is still in awe of these islands, even though he has traveled there for over 15 years.

Below are some first impressions of the CELC crew of students:

Julia: Today we landed of the Boundless! It was so amazing to fly over the ocean and to be able to see the bright blue ocean. I loved walking on the toe rail on the outside of the lifelines. I did it once without getting off and made it all the way around. It is almost bedtime and good night.

Jared: The boat is much larger than I thought, and there is plenty of food.

Jody: After landing, we saw many cool sights when driving to meet Captain Jeff. After going through a list of rules on the Boundless, we had a rather awkward experience talking about the bathroom and how to use the toilet properly. So far, it has been really fun walking around the boat and seeing a little bit of the Bahamas. I can’t wait to sail tomorrow!

Kyle: Today we went through Nassau, or the land portion anyway. We flew on Jet Blue flight 723, and the flight was relatively uneventful. I have yet to fish and am definitely looking forward to fishing and swimming tomorrow. Highlight of the day was getting back into Captain Jeff’s little dinghy. That was the first day, plus the first night on the boat again should be fun.

We walked into the dark, quiet room. The mats were spread, sending a cool breeze to rest in the damp air. Blazing sunshine consumed the dullness and dark from the empty space. With it, waves of tranquility flooded the room. Warrior I, Warrior II, Goddess Warrior. Each of us left feeling stronger and more flexible than before.  This is yoga with Peg at the Blackstone Memorial Library in Branford.

Our class got a puppy! Her name is Santana. She is so full of life and very energetic. Sometimes she runs all around the classroom and expects us to chase her. It sounds like fingernails tapping on a table when she runs on the hardwood floor. She also tries to make more food appear from her empty food bowl by pawing at it and obsessively licking it. Her wet, pink tongue is very long and you have to be careful when she is licking your face because she might try to lick your eyeball.

Her schedule is pretty simple: when she gets to HQ, she runs around like a wild woman for anywhere between ten minutes up to an hour; she then walks into M&M’s office, settles into her crate, and puts herself to sleep. She sleeps in the some of the most awkward positions that we can’t help but laugh. Sometimes while she is sleeping, we all go in and see what her weird position is that moment -  she sleeps on her back with her mouth open sometimes, and we just find it weird, but cute!

Having a 5-month old puppy in our learning space is a lot of fun, but it can also get sort of annoying. For instance we have to try and puppy-proof our space, which means we can’t leave any paper or food on the floor because Santana will eat it. Santana also eats things that aren’t food. When we are outside, she finds the grossest, smelliest and weirdest things to roll in.

Since Santana is not old enough to stay home alone, when we travel, so does she. She has to sit on somebody’s lap and when we want her, we say, “Does anyone mind if I have Santana in the car?” If someone replies, “Yes”, we try and work it out – one person sits with her on the way there and the other person gets her on the way back. As soon as we get in the car and start moving, she is out like a light. It doesn’t matter how energized she was before we start moving, the car ride always has the same effect!

At CELC we are lucky. No one has a pet allergy so our teacher’s dog can come any time she wants. We all very much love having Santana as a part of our CELC family.

I’m here in New Haven,Connecticut, home to the amazing New Haven Museum. Here, in this brightly colored room, we have a history lesson all about the people who have made Connecticut great. We are given a packet filled with information – letters,  journals, or blueprints by the person whom we are studying. After a lot of hypotheses about who each person might be, we are moved on to a room with dimmed lights and first-hand evidence. With every step, the evidence becomes clearer,  and we are able to figure out more about each person’s life. Later all the groups assemble, and we share our ideas about aspects of the person we studied, including what he or she did for a living.

We conclude our trip back in time, forcing ourselves back to the future. This is all we could do in our two-hour time limit, although more secrets of New Haven lie waiting for thoughtful students to come.

*** Welcome CELCites, or is it CELCaroonies?! ***

This is your site for keeping current with homework assignments and any additional information about which you may need to be aware!

**THEME BUILD continues  Monday, 21 MAY ** All students must bring materials to use to begin construction of theme displays during class**

** Have with you at all times a reading book **

** Remember to check the CELC Calendar for a complete listing

of our weekly field experiences and activities **

**   We have pizza lunch available on Fridays. The cost for 2 slices, milk, and a dessert is $5.00. The cost for 1 slice, milk, and a dessert is $4.00  **

Thank you !

After weeks of hard work, we are now coming to the end of our woodworking unit. We’ve spent countless hours measuring, cutting, and sanding our wooden masterpieces, while we simultaneously choked on sawdust and learned to not fear the table saw. It’s hard to anticipate the end of something that has only just begun. It seems like yesterday that we had to learn how to turn on the table saw. We’ve only just gotten used to the sawdust coating our clothes and burning our throats, yet it’s already time to go.

Our woodshop instructor, Ken Rowe, taught us everything from adjusting the angle of the saw to fixing our mistakes. His patience and understanding when we messed up helped to create a less stressful and more welcoming environment in which to create our boxes and cutting boards. It will be hard to go home on Fridays without dust beneath our fingernails and thin pink scrapes on our arms, but at least we will have our beautiful projects as souvenirs! I’m sure everyone will miss the hum of the power tools echoing in their ears as we end this unit, and I know we will never forget this exciting and educational experience!