By Colleen Cheechalk | Program Director
Greetings from the Borrowed Freedom program!
Our micro-project has been retired, and even though it wasn't fully funded, we were able to use the funds raised to make some significant repairs to our beloved truck, Dale, and keep it on the road. And that is a very important thing!
Without a truck we cannot get feed, hay, supplies, or building materials, and those are things we need every week for an equine program. I have to admit, for a while, I was fearful that we would need to begin paying for delivery of all our supplies, which would make a big impact on our budget. And now, I don't have that worry anymore.
We are making arrangements to find alternatives to get to the children who need us. The numbers we serve will be smaller than anticipated, however, the mission will proceed! Children need farm based education more than ever!
Consider this...Children in NYS spend 900 hours each year in school, but they watch 1200 hours of television. Those hours include the viewing of approximately 150,000 violent acts before the age of 18, other sources report 1500 hours, not 1200 hours in front of the television, watching 200,000 violent acts by the age of 18. Statistic show that 54% of 4 to 6-year-olds would rather spend time watching television than spending time with their fathers.
Here are some additional thought provoking reasons to get kids connected with farm animals:
Using the Profile of Mood States test, researchers found that time amidst nature significantly decreased the scores for anxiety, depression, anger, confusion and fatigue.
Bullying behavior is greatly reduced where children have access to diverse nature-based play environments.
A 2008 study at the University of Michigan found that memory performance and attention spans improved by 20 percent after subjects spent an hour in nature.
Research indicates that children who have nature experiences demonstrate more advanced cognitive development.
Natural, irregular and challenging spaces help kids learn to recognize, assess and negotiate risk and build confidence and competence.
Our impact may be smaller now, but there will still be impact. And we must succeed in this mission, because, as you can see, children need all that nature and the farm can bring to their lives. Your support of this micro-project will help make that happen, and those children who have never heard a rooster crow, or placed their cheek against the soft warmth of a horses neck, will have the chance to experience those things and more.
Thank you for helping us with this important project. We will update you again once we begin programming in June, and share some stories from the kids with you. After all, that's what it is all about!
Warmly,
Colleen, and the Borrowed Freedom Team.
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