Lifelong learning at CFPA - naturally

CFPA empowers students of all ages to become caring, informed, responsible citizens. The Association's programs teach citizens to weigh information in order to make environmentally sound decisions. The out-of-doors is the tool to engage lifelong learners in discovering more about the natural world and the place they have in it.

CFPA embodies:

Conservation of the land and its natural resources;
Future of Connecticut's citizens, communities, wildlife, working farms, natural areas,   water and air quality and our environmental health;
Partnerships and collaborative efforts; and an
Awareness to action approach. 

Place-based Education

An out-growth of environmental education, place-based education incorporates not just the environment, but also the historical and cultural aspects of a community. Childhood and nature expert David Sobel, professor of education at Antioch New England University, was interviewed by CFPA's education director. Read the interview here. For more information about environmental education, please read the Winter 2011 issue of CT Woodlands magazine.

Environmental Literacy

The need for comprehensive environmental education within the United States and in Connecticut has never been greater. The health of Connecticut's future depends on its citizens being environmentally literate and able to make informed choices about environmental issues such as water use, air quality, and land development. Connecticut, along with many of its sister states and conservation organizations, is working with the federal government to create Environmental Literacy Plans to prepare today's youth to become tomorrow's stewards of the environment. CFPA's education director participates in the Steering Committee formed by the Connecticut Outdoor and Environmental Education Association which helped write the ELP.

Why does Connecticut need an environmental literacy plan? There are bills being considered by the U.S. Senate and Congress that are likely to include funding to support environmental education. One of those bills, No Child Left Inside, currently includes funding to equip teachers with the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to integrate the environment into their curricula. Only states with qualifying Environmental Literacy Plans will be eligible for this funding.

Download and read the Connecticut Environmental Literacy Plan. 

Programs

Teaching Educators
Project Learning Tree (PLT), the cornerstone of environmental education, helps teach students how to think rather than what to think about the environment. PLT supports Connecticut's Curriculum Framework for science, math, language arts, social studies and the arts and national education standards. As the Connecticut affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation, CFPA helps educators connect wildlife and wild places with Access Nature, an inclusive curriculum. Topics range from forests, wildlife and water, to community planning and energy. Or, choose CFPA's unique "Children's Literature and Nature" workshop. Workshops can be held at your school, on CFPA properties, or in nearby forests and parks. Visit the CT Forest Teachers' Tour page for August 2011 information.

WalkCT Family Rambles
Fun and engaging, trained WalkCT Family Guides lead and connect families to the outdoors by exploring Connecticut's trails. These adventures are offered all around the state on the last weekend of every month, January through December. Because they are geared specifically for families, kids and their caregivers will delight in this outdoor quest for fun together. 

Special Places

Highlawn Forest 
At the Highlawn Forest, the forest paths are the corridors and the shaded alcoves and productive wetlands are the classrooms. Teachers, naturalists and other educators are invited to learn in our open and accessible outside "school." Recent studies of schools across the nation found that using the environment as an integrating context in school curricula results in wide-ranging, positive effects on student learning and the teaching of educators. CFPA guides educators in using the outdoors as a teaching tool, Benefits of environmental education include:

• Improvements in student achievement in science, language arts, social studies and math;
• Development of problem-solving, critical thinking and decision-making skills;
• Increased enthusiasm and engagement in learning;
• Gains in standardized test scores and grade point averages and
• Revitalized and energized teachers.

The educational experience at the Highlawn Forest is designed to provide visitors the opportunities to:

• Tap into their inquisitive nature and discover the land around them;
• Experience a rich environment for scientific explorations, creativity, and problem-solving; and
• Utilize inquiry skills in order to gain a greater understanding of the world.

This special place is adjacent to CFPA Headquarters in Middlefield, on the land of the late John R. Camp. Mr. Camp left the use of this forested property to the Association for education and research. It accommodates educators, resource professionals, scout and youth group leaders. Workshops and activities take place on the Discovery Trail, part of the Highlawn Forest.