By Lori Kiesser | Development Officer
If you were asked to share your first fond memory of science, you might cringe. Or, you might have a flashback to a class where you struggled to pass a test. You might not be able to recall a memory. But what if you were asked to describe your first fond memory seeing a hummingbird hover over a flower or a meteor shower in the night sky? It is likely that you can vividly describe a similar experience right down to where you were and what you felt.
Experiences in nature often produce moments of awe that leave impressions of a lifetime. In "Awesome awe: The emotion that gives us superpowers," New Scientist author Jo Merchant shared that "awe is the feeling we get when we are confronted by something that transcends our frame of reference." According to Merchant, scientists have found that awe can be reliably reproduced in nature. And, it is such powerful emotion that "even mild awe can change our attitudes and behavior."
So where do the experiences students have with Inside the Outdoors fit into the equation?
Imagine if you're a 5th grade student from a community where your playground is the street or a vacant lot. Where community members have access to 20 feet of open space (your mattress is probably about 27 square feet). You cannot go to the park because there isn't one in your neighborhood.
You head to school one morning and board a bus for your Inside the Outdoors field trip. Upon arrival at the field trip site, you step off the bus and you smell the ocean. You hear the waves crashing on the rocks. You see a vast ocean, birds searching for food, and tide pools teaming with life. Science becomes real. It becomes awesome.
After the field trip, you remember how you felt, what you saw, and what you learned. When your teacher talks about adaptation, you think about the tiny little crabs who have figured out how to live in the intertidal zone. You connected with something bigger than yourself and science made that happen.
What if you're a high school student in an alternative education situation because you've given up on learning? You come to class each day pretty sure no one can surprise you or make you care. But your teacher is determined to give you the best chance at learning so he invites an Inside the Outdoors' Traveling Scientist to visit the class. Five minutes into the visit, you hear the call of a hawk. You look around the classroom and see canvas covering what looks like a large animal travel crate. Soon, the Traveling Scientist introduces Apollo, a majestic redtail hawk. Apollo spreads his wings and you can see his eyes, talons, and beak. You hear that Apollo is part of Inside the Outdoors because someone thought it would be a good idea to remove him from his nest as a baby. He's imprinted. You are determined to learn everything you can about this beautiful creature and you'll remember him for the rest of your life. You decide at that moment to become a wildlife biologist or a park ranger. You realize that you're excited about learning and that you can actually learn. Suddenly, one experience with a hawk changes your trajectory.
The moments of awe described above are real experiences described by students who participated in an Inside the Outdoors program. Similar experiences are replicated every day of the school year and throughout the summer thanks to the generous community support Inside the Outdoors Foundation receives from community members.
Thank you for helping us create moments of awe.
By Dawn Curtis | Manager, Grants and Volunteer Services
By Lori Kiesser | Development Director
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser