Forest School, Nature School, Placed-based learning, this work goes by many names.
And the intention is to expose children to the outdoors in a meaningful way, and to develop a sense of place and purpose within it. Simply put, kids need regular outdoor adventure time- it's so good for their mind, body and soul!
Our goal is to nurture qualities of wellbeing in the youth, qualities of leadership, problem solving, care and connection.
Coyote Programs takes this mission very seriously and aims to go deep. This isn’t just free play in the outdoors – though we do a lot of that too! We offer skills to go camping and to do crafts with wild materials, games and teachings about ecology and natural history, and experiences that deepen the participants ability to work as a team, to know and express themselves, and to feel connected to their community.
We are ambitious, we know! And we cater to families who are called to that spirit of outdoor adventure, because it helps us grow into better humans!
Mentoring
We work towards creating long-term relationships with participants where mentoring practices can really shine. As we learn about participants’ individual passions and edges, we try to meet them where they are at and offer opportunities to grow with passion and courage. We often make the learning ‘invisible’ and exciting, using storytelling, games and challenges to make our programs rich and dynamic.
Ecology
We believe the natural world is the most powerful teacher. Getting to know the species and individuals in your ecosystem cultivates ecological literacy as well as empathy, and therefore a greater desire to both know as well as protect this world that we rely on. Regular and direct contact with the elements keeps us alive in our bodies, and fosters stronger common sense and problem solving.
Skills
Shelter, water, fire, food- these skills to survive in the wild can teach us so much about ourselves and each other, all the while cultivating incredible qualities of connection and awareness. We see this as an opportunity to develop conduct, because we don’t just want to survive, we want to thrive, and for all life to thrive as well! Conduct is key! Making fire by rubbing sticks together isn’t as simple as it sounds. And if you want to really know the skill well, you’ll need to study the plants we use to make fire, the ecosystems they grow in, the history of fire making, and you’ll need a good coach!
How do we know when this approach is working?
We look for the following ‘qualities of nature connection’ in our participants to profile them, and to help us to measure their growth:
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