Problem

Inner city youth have limited opportunity to explore the natural resources of their own neighborhood, explore a local park, touch a tree, observe animal tracks, or enjoy watching birds. We prefer to 'leave no child inside' while allowing local youth to explore their own community and gain a sense of place and increased self esteem.

The Gift

Your gift will provide one afternoon of Backyard Adventures! programming for up to 12 youth at a local school in Lowell, MA. Backyard Adventures provides experiential learning opportunities for disadvantaged youth in Lowell to help them gain self-esteem, leadership skills, and exposure to environmental career opportunities. Backyard Adventures provides ‘hands-on’ lessons in the out-of-doors to learn about the natural environment by exploring local habitats, conducting valuable field work, and giving youth a ‘voice’ in sharing their knowledge with others in the community. Each youth will develop a stronger connection to their community and the land, further enhance their sense of responsibility for the environment, and encourage participation in local action/stewardship opportunities (most often developed by the students themselves). This multi-disciplinary program follows the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks.