The Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) is a collaborative, interdisciplinary service-learning program housed in the University of Oregon Environmental Studies Program. Student teams are matched with non-profit organizations, governmental agencies and businesses to address local environmental needs. Students gain leadership, communication and professional skills by engaging directly in applied problem-resolution while providing valuable assistance to our community partners.
Restoring Connections Team
The Restoring Connections team strives to nurture a reconnection between children and their natural environment. The project provides Adams Elementary School students with three opportunities to visit Mount Pisgah Arboretum each year, from kindergarten to fifth grade, each looking at a specific ecosystem and environmental concept. The curriculum utilizes Jon Young's Coyote Mentoring techniques and moves from awareness to action throughout the day, year, and finally, the entire six-year program. The 2017 team, of which I am a member, developed the second grade curriculum, consisting of a three classroom lessons and field trips focusing on the Douglas-fir forest and the concepts of habitat health, biodiversity, and interdependence between species. In the Spring of 2017, we implemented our second grade curriculum as well as the previously developed kindergarten and first grade curricula, serving over 225 students.