Outdoor Education and the Development of Civic Responsibility. ERIC Digest.

Overview & Synopsis

This digest suggests how outdoor education and experiential learning can develop in students a sense of community participation and set them on a path of strong participation and civic responsibility. Following definitions of outdoor education and experiential learning, various outdoor and experiential approaches are described. Adventure education encompasses activities that have a certain amount of stress or risk; stimulates development of students' interpersonal competencies, leadership skills, and self-confidence; and nurtures respect for and connections with nature and community. Cultural journalism helps students understand the place where they live, their connections through friends and relatives to others in the past and present community, and the value of community traditions. Closely related to cultural journalism, participatory research involves students and community members in framing and resolving local problems and issues. Participatory research projects promote a sense of justice and activism in social and environmental issues. Service learning provides direct benefits to communities, strengthens school-community bonds, and gives meaning to education for students. (Contains 16 references and 5 resource organizations.) (SV)