Community for Learning

Our primary goal with the NM Community for Learning Middle School Outdoor Education Club is to reduce the barriers that stop our students from experiencing the beautiful NM outdoors while improving socio-emotional and leadership skills and awareness of the environment, history, and culture. We aim to inspire students to believe in themselves, try new things, and build lifelong healthy habits. We are serving a diverse population including students who are Native American, African/American and Hispanic, refugees, and special education students. Students from the three participating middle schools often feel like these outdoor spaces aren't for them. The Outdoor Education Club takes a comprehensive approach to bridging the gap between outdoor recreation and needed skills, by using the skills and expertise of three professional Albuquerque Public School (APS) teachers. These teachers will serve as the leadership team for grant-funded enhanced activities designed to offer leadership and socio-emotional skills and provide all students with equitable outdoor opportunities, regardless of the middle school the students attend. The teachers are currently working in the three middle schools teaching: (a) New Mexico History; (b) Science and English as a Second Language; and (c) Special Education for students with autism and intellectual disabilities. Combined they have complementary areas of expertise that offer an optimal mix of competencies to oversee the planned enhancements. Currently, the Outdoor Club offers a curriculum of outdoor skill events at school and subsequent field trips. For instance, we teach knot tying, bring students to a rock-climbing wall to practice manual belaying, and then take the students real rock climbing at area parks. We also practice and perform archery, fishing, and hiking. We implement a curriculum all outdoor enthusiasts must know, such as leave no trace, safe camping, basic first aid and survival skills, and proper clothing. But, we can do more and provide more equitable opportunities. We partner with multiple local organizations to engage in local outdoor experiences and start giving back to the community through service projects. We don't want them just to be visitors, we want them to be future leaders who are stewards of the outdoors. Yet, to date, the partnerships and services are not equitably distributed across the three middle schools. We hope to use the grant funding to enhance the curriculum and ensure all students have access to the same high-quality experiences, receive high-quality socio-emotional and leadership skills and have equitable access to experiential outdoor activities. For example, the CABQ Esperanza bike shop teaches kids bike safety and mountain biking at their skills course in the neighborhood of McKinley. It also provides students with free bikes and vocational training in bike maintenance and repair. The shop hires youth as young as fourteen to work in the shop. Wilson partners with a local aquatics center so club students can practice paddleboarding prior to a field trip at Cochiti Lake. With grant funds, we will ensure students from each middle school can access the full range of activities.