Since 1956, we have worked with
thousands of students and teachers to explore
and investigate our natural world. As Maine's oldest
outdoor education facility, our camp and school programs
offer a long tradition of inspired fun, "hands on" science
education, and nature based activities that encourage students
to feel confident about taking care of themselves and others
in the outdoors while devevloping a personal conservation ethic.
Please contact our Program Director to inquire about a custom designed program for your school group.
Steps Toward Personal Growth and Conservation Stewardship
To help educators, parents and students shape their experiences at the Bryant Pond 4-H Camp & Learning Center, we've organized our school programs and summer camp experiences into a series of "steps."
1. Create Team Building Experiences:
Students who participate in team building activities develop cooperative attitudes and appreciation of others’ differences. Cooperation with others is an integral aspect in fostering a conservation ethic because environmental dilemmas are resolved when various groups work together.
2. Add Outdoor Recreation:
Students who participate in outdoor activities associate nature with fun. Outdoor recreation also helps individuals connect with their own potential, and as a result, recreation boosts self-esteem, self-reliance, and confidence. More at ease with the natural world, students are then ready to understand how caring for our world is an important part of enjoying it.
3. Encourage Sensory Development:
Students who develop sensory awareness skills perceive the natural world as a living part of themselves, not as a separate commodity. We constantly encourage students to expose their senses to the natural environment. The result is an awakening to the rich, complex nature of our world.
4. Combine Core Lessons in Outdoor Skills and Conservation Education:
"Hands-on" nature based activities are the heart of the our conservation education programs. When students experience meaningful lessons in the natural world, we know they will grow personally and they will also become sensitive stewards of our treasured resources and outdoor traditions.
