September 7, 7pm – this program is being postponed until a later date, tbd
Jamie Hannon
Professor of Adventure Education, Plymouth State University
Children aged 6-17 spend most of their weekday waking hours in school. For most students in NH this time is spent primarily indoors or in constructed outdoor environments. As children everywhere experience a decreasing sense of connection to nature, schools that keep their students indoors are missing an opportunity to improve their kids’ wellness, social-emotional development and academic achievement.
This program takes a close look at one NH public school that has taken a different approach: the Mountain Village Charter School of Plymouth. Serving grades 1-8 with an educational program dedicated to immersive, daily nature experiences, the school has experienced numerous successes, and some challenges too, as it seeks to bring all its students into a deeper connection with the landscape of NH.
This webinar is part of the year-long Exploring Connections to and Stewardship of the Natural World talks. This series is supported by a grant through the NH Humanities Council and aims to provide a public and personal space for the examination of environmental ethics, fostering a deeper understanding of, appreciation for, and care of, our natural world. Programs are free to the public, and streamed via Zoom, YouTube, and Facebook Live.
For more information and to see the entire slate of talks, visit our series webpage.
Speaker Bio:
Jamie Hannon has taught outdoor and environmental education for 35 years and is currently a professor of adventure education at Plymouth State University. He dwells with his family in the Asquamchumaukee River valley in the southwestern foothills of the White Mountains. He is a founding member and board chair of the Mountain Village Charter School, the only nature-based, Montessori, public school in the world.