Most adults recall a time when summer meant endless hours of outdoor play (and the start of school the confinement of a classroom) - but most American children today spend the majority of summer indoors. Studies show the average American child between the ages of 8 and 18 spends nearly eight hours per day, year round, indoors with televisions, computers, and video games. The costs of this "indoor childhood" run the gamut from health problems to a reduced ability to relate to peers and adults and inability to concentrate. Solutions to this trend are fairly simple, such as including unstructured time outdoors in a child's daily routine, as well as more outdoor education in schools. The National Wildlife Federation campaign, Be Out There, aims to ensure that every child gets a daily "Green Hour" - 60 minutes of exposure to active outdoor play and/or nature. Studies show academic performance in science, math, English, and social studies, as well as a sense of responsibility to their surroundings, increase when students have hands-on experiences with nature. In addition, exposure to natural settings has shown to reduce symptoms of ADHD, anxiety, and depression in children. Be Out There provides practical tools for families and schools to make being outdoors a fun, automatic part of everyday life and return to America's children what they don't even know they've lost: their connection to the natural world!
At Rivermont Collegiate, education goes well beyond the classroom! Rivermont students are provided a solid foundation in quantitative knowledge and written expression, while also completing a series of requirements that challenge biases, encourage personal expression, promote tolerance, and help students discover courage and inspiration. Rivermont is excited to announce the addition of a formal Outdoor Education Program to the Upper School for the 2011-12 school year! Students in grades 9-12 will be traveling to Camp Manito-wish in upper Wisconsin this September, experiencing a week of supervised physical challenges and varied living conditions, while learning to work with each other in overcoming physical, mental, and emotional obstacles. The Outdoor Education Program at Rivermont is designed to challenge students to grow in wisdom, in stature, and in favor with one another. Furthermore, thanks to the generosity of individuals, groups, and foundations, Rivermont is able to offer this inaugural program at no additional charge to students!
Rivermont Collegiate, located in Bettendorf, is the Quad Cities' only private, independent, multicultural college preparatory school for students in preschool through twelfth grade. What are you waiting for? Explore what Rivermont has to offer! Drop in for Open Tours on Tuesday, September 6th from 8:30-10:00 a.m. No appointment necessary! This casual event gives families the opportunity to tour campus and explore our philosophy and programs.
Rivermont Collegiate is located at 1821 Sunset Drive, directly off 18th Street behind K&K Hardware in Bettendorf. Visit us online at www.rvmt.org! For additional information on Rivermont Collegiate or Tuesday's Open Tours, contact Cindy Murray at (563) 359-1366 ext. 302 or murray@rvmt.org.
For additional information on the National Wildlife Federation's Be Out There and Green Hour campaigns, visit www.greenhour.org. For additional information on Camp Manito-wish, visit www.manito-wish.org.
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