科罗拉多大学 Learning Initiative in the Mountains (CCLIM) partnered with West Middle School and Jack Swigert Aerospace Academy (JSAA) to give local middle school students the opportunity to build self-esteem and learn environmental respect through an outdoor education program.
一周一次, 10 CC students meet with about 15 Jack Swigert Aerospace Academy middle school students to learn about the outdoors, 花时间在户外, 并与彼此建立联系. 中学生往往每周都是一样的, 如何帮助CC学生与他们建立更紧密的联系.
“我们在CCLIM的使命是为孩子们提供一个空间, 哪些人通常不会暴露在户外, 学会像我们一样热爱户外活动,25岁的联合主席克莱尔汤普森说, 艾玛·马克兰，25岁, 伊莎贝拉·蔡尔兹，迈克尔，25岁. “我们是一个非营利组织, so we really emphasize the fact that we provide all activities to students at no cost to them or their families. CCLIM is a safe space for all these kids to hang out with knowledgeable— and cool! -大学生一周一次. They really get to be themselves and gain an appreciation for the outdoors and all the fun activities we do.”
CC最初与西部中学合作开展CCLIM, 但由于支持人员的变化, 今年，该俱乐部与杰克·斯威格特航空航天学院合作. Both schools are within District 11, which made the change in partner schools a bit easier.
汤普森 says one of her favorite moments from CCLIM was when the club took West Middle School students to CC’s climbing gym and saw them fall in love with an activity many hadn’t tried before.
“他们中的一些人以前有过在健身房攀岩的经验, 而有些人从来没有去过攀岩馆,汤普森说。, 环境科学专业. “Some of the kids who had never climbed before were very apprehensive and nervous at first and refused to try it. But after we talked to them and showed them that it was very low stakes and super fun, 他们试过了, 我很喜欢! It was so fun to see them try something new and fall in love with it, even if it took a little bit of pushing from our leaders to get them out of their comfort zones."
在COVID-19之前, CCLIM and West Middle School were able to use CC vans to transport students to many different community and outdoor activities, 比如《赌博正规的十大网站》和《全球十大赌博靠谱平台》. The co-chairs say they are playing catch up to bring these activities back as quickly as possible.
“We are very excited about this first semester we have planned as half of our events are able to be off the JSAA campus, 无论是在户外还是在CC的课程中,汤普森说。, who joined CCLIM during her first year at CC and became co-chair at the beginning of her sophomore year. “One of my personal favorite events is an extended event we hold at Garden of the Gods on Leave No Trace (LNT) practices.”
在“不留痕迹”事件期间, CC and the middle school students spend two hours at Garden on the Gods exploring and playing games while learning about the seven principles of LNT.
CCLIM的成员们一起集思广益，制定俱乐部的课程, 然后会员将报名参加具体的会议, 比如“不留痕迹”或气候变化峰会活动. The co-chairs will meet with the event’s leader to gather materials and finalize curriculum plans.
While the club’s goal is to make an impact on local middle school students, it is clear CC students enjoy the club meetings as much as the middle school students do.
“Another one of my favorite times was when we did an egg drop-off of Hybl. 我们从硬纸板上随机给了学生一些材料, 感觉, 粘土, 聚苯乙烯泡沫塑料, and just other random recycled materials and then divided them into teams,汤普森说. “Their job was to drop an egg off the Hybl deck and make sure it did not crack. They engineered so many different ways to hold the egg, and nobody's egg cracked! 看到他们一起工作，变得超级有创意，真是太有趣了, 所有CC的孩子也都做了精巧的装置, 这对我们来说很有趣吗.”
“Wednesday is the highlight of my week and a great way to take a brain break during more challenging blocks,马克兰说。, 教育专业. “连接 with these middle schoolers is so meaningful and rewarding. 学生 should join CCLIM to get connected with their community and school systems in a new way.”
汤普森, Markland, 和迈克尔招募俱乐部成员在CC和艾米·汤姆林, 杰克·斯威格特航空航天学院的合作老师, 她的学校有招聘吗. Tomerlin previously worked at West Middle School and had been the partner teacher with CCLIM there. The co-chairs and Tomerlin meet several times a year to check in on how things on going on both ends, and discuss whether any adjustments are needed to meet the needs of students at JSAA and CC.
“I initially joined CCLIM because I love the outdoors and love working with and mentoring kids and CCLIM merged these two passions,马克兰说。, 谁是户外教育的领导者, 同时也是学校儿童中心的一名学生工作者.
联合主席不知道CCLIM成立的确切年份, but believe it started about 15 years ago and say it is one of the longest run clubs at CC. “Making a connection with CC and the greater Colorado Springs community is really important to us, and we are so lucky to keep this awesome club running for so many years,他们说.
“I am incredibly grateful to the people who have taught me to be more comfortable recreating in the outdoors, which is why I am so motivated to pass on what I have learned to other folks,迈克尔说。, 主修文化人类学和阿拉伯语, 伊斯兰教, 辅修中东研究. “I joined CCLIM fall of last year with this passion in mind and have had a blast so far!"
The club meets every Wednesday, with the exception of fourth week, from 4 to 6 p.m. “Because one of CCLIM’s goals is to build meaningful relationships with middle school students, we expect that CC students can set two hours aside each week for our club,两位联合主席说. “It’s important as a club that we build deep relationships with these students so that both parties want to continue to return.”
欲了解更多信息或加入CCLIM，请查看俱乐部的 Instagram 或电子邮件 克莱尔·汤普森.