Newsletter

Winter 2001

Celebrating 25 Years

The Community School Program at Au Sable - Great Lakes has been serving the northwest region of Michigan's lower peninsula since 1977. It is hard to assess the impact of a program that has been operating for twenty-five years. The coordinator for the program, Patricia Fagg, said she has seen a change in attitude in the students over the twenty-five years.

At first she was surprised at how little the students knew about the region where they lived. "It reminds me of a statement by Mardy Murie, 'The unknowing eye cannot see.' What we have been doing over the past twenty-five years is educating our students' eyes to truly see this wonderful place we call home. We have also been providing experiences which educate the heart to love and care for our region. We provide training in the skills needed to make decisions that sustain and maintain a productive and healthy environment. My goal has always been to protect the environment of northern Michigan through the environmental education program and to enrich our children's lives," stated Patricia.

In order to promote this change in attitude, Au Sable developed a sequential curriculum. Students visit the Institute each year, building on the knowledge gained in the previous year. Patricia commented, "It is amazing how much the children retain from year to year." Each study at Au Sable is tied to topics the students are studying in the classroom. The curriculum is also designed to meet many of Michigan's State science learning objectives. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of environmental studies, the Au Sable program not only meets science objectives but also meets many objectives in social studies, math, and language arts.

The curriculum is age-appropriate taking into account the developmental level of the children. Units of study for kindergarten and first and second grade students are designed to develop environmental awareness. These studies enhance beginning science, math, and language arts skills. Students engage all their senses in order to hone their observational skills. As students progress through each topic they become familiar with the plants and animals of our Northwoods region so they begin to develop a sense of place. Each study provides direct experiences in the natural world, which foster wonder, joy, and delight.

Acting as a bridge between the environmental awareness units and those of ecology is a study that demonstrates that we are dependent on our environment. "I made an unsettling discovery several years ago. Children do not understand that their food, water, energy - all their basic needs come from the environment. I felt we could not jump right into ecology studies until students understood that they were inextricably linked to the environment," observed Patricia. To teach this basic understanding, Au Sable takes students back to the year 1800 for half a day and to the year 1900 for the other half. This living history program allows students to interact with people from those years and to engage in activities of the time periods. These two years were chosen not only for the contrast in technologies but also because these were devastating times for the environment right around the present day Au Sable. In 1800 the fur trade was waning in northern Michigan due to over-hunting. In 1900 Louie Sand's logging camp was here taking the white pines from the property. Stewardship is an important feature of this study as students learn that resources have limits.

Fourth through sixth grade students gain a basic understanding of some of the inter-relationships within the natural world through a series of ecology studies. The pond, wildlife, forest and winter studies guide students step by step to an understanding of some of the basic principles governing the interaction among living things and their environment.

Sixth through twelfth grade students participate in environmental studies, which use techniques that measure the health of our environment. Whether the study focuses on air, surface water, groundwater, or an entire watershed, the inter-link between the non-living aspects and the living components of our environment are demonstrated. Each study emphasizes how individuals affect environmental quality. Students are given the training necessary to make decisions and develop lifestyles that maintain a healthy and productive environment.

This school year we are adding an additional tier to the curriculum. An environmental ethics five-day course for Christian high school students is being added under the direction of Lisa Zinn.

It is estimated that Au Sable has hosted 93,000 student-visits over the last 25 years. Patricia notes, "We are now serving a second generation of children. It is not uncommon for a parent-chaperone to comment that they were in the Au Sable program when they were children. One Traverse City second grade teacher who brings her students to Au Sable was once a student at Au Sable herself."

Several teachers from Mancelona Public Schools and Kalkaska Public Schools have been bringing their students to the Au Sable environmental education program for its entire 25-year history. These veteran teachers have expressed concern regarding the current trend in education that emphasizes technology, computers, test scores, and deskwork. This concern coupled with the fact that most of today's students spend less time outdoors and more time in front of televisions and computers have led the teachers to believe that the Au Sable program is more important than ever. Teachers have stated that the most effective and meaningful teaching happens at Au Sable in its "real world" setting.

An aspect of the program that makes it successful is its link to Au Sable's college program. The Community School Program acts as a lab school to train environmental education interns. Interns are recent college graduates usually with degrees in biology, environmental studies, or education. Many interns do the internship in order to fulfill a requirement for naturalist certification from the Institute. The internship provides training in effective communication of environmental concepts. Through out the internship the senior staff guides interns through an exploration of a Christian view of vocation and an assessment of their gifts. The school program gives the interns an opportunity to use their gifts in service to our region through service to our children and their teachers. Exploring one's gifts in the context of service is an empowering combination. Rachel Johnson (Houghton College), an environmental education intern in the fall of 2000 and now a teacher in Massachusetts recently wrote, "The internship is still impacting the way I view life and education. I believe even more firmly in the mission of Au Sable and the methods of environmental education!" The first internship was in 1983. Since that time 160 environmental education interns have been trained through the Au Sable program.

Patricia summarized, "It is good to stop and reflect on what has been accomplished over the last twenty-five years. I am pleased to think that the Au Sable Community School Program has made a significant contribution to our region. It is now time to assess the needs of the future and roll up our sleeves. There is much more work to do."

Patricia Fagg

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