As much as we all love our high tech gadgets (iPods, cell phones, Wii, PlayStation...), it is also good to enjoy a healthy relationship to Nature.

God has graciously provided us with many ways for us to stay healthy and one of the greatest thanks we can give back is to appreciate His blessings in Nature. We welcome you to join us in opening our children's lives and preparing them to become good protectors of God's resources. The gitm No Child Left Inside Initiative is currently in the first phase of development.  Our mission is to:

~Create partnerships with organizations and individuals interested in reconnecting children to Nature.
~Promote a twice monthly family nature walk and outdoor activities.
~Design a school-wide educational program highlighting the great benefits of unstructured outdoor play. 
~Use this Initiative in partnership with the gitm Mentoring Program.

The time is now to reconnect our Children to Nature...for their health and the preservation of our planet. Help Central Illinois become a part of the growing national campaign to increase awareness of the relationship between human well-being and the natural environment.

Our Leave No Child Inside Initiative is a means to bridge the gap between having fun gaming and becoming stewards of our natural world.  Participating in a regular dose of Nature has shown to increase self-esteem, decrease the symptoms of attention deficit disorder and elicit positive emotional and physical growth in our children across the country.

See the fun we're having! 

We are excited to tell you about a great opportunity.  In looking for ways to reach children and get them outside, we came across Project Learning Tree and found it to be a 'natural' fit with the No Child Left Inside Initiative. We were so impressed by the quality of the curriculum, we want to offer it to you or your organization.

Project Learning Tree® (PLT) is the American Forest Foundation's environmental education program that produces high quality curriculum materials for students in grades PreK-12. PLT provides training and professional development opportunities for teachers, non-formal educators, and pre-service teachers (teachers in training.)

PLT teaches students how to think, not what to think about the environment.

For over 30 years, Project Learning Tree has been taking kids outside to learn. We provide teachers with the training, resources, and support they need to get their students outdoors and learning about their local environment. In addition, we've adapted many PLT activities for families to use at home to help connect children with nature. (Excerpt: http://plt.org/cms/pages/21_21_9.html)

Who can benefit from PLT curriculum?

* Daycares
* School classrooms (grades K-12) and after-school programs
* Brownies, girl scouts, cadets, cub scouts, boy scouts**
* Teachers-become certified to teach PLT curriculum, or we can provide classroom instruction and offer field trips.***
* Counselors and other educators
* Anyone who works with families and children

**Many PLT activities are aligned with badge requirements and available for a small fee. Contact us for more information.

***PLT Activities are aligned with ISBE State Standards. As PLT certified facilitators, we can offer the hands on activities of PLT. We also offer a PLT professional development workshop, which is available as CEU's for Illinois educators. Upon completion of the professional development workshop, you will have access to the PLT curriculum to enhance your students learning experience.  You do not have to be a teacher in order to participate in the professional development workshop!

Sample Activity-The Shape of Things

Overview:
In these experiences, children will search for the shapes and colors that define both our natural and built environments.

Objectives:
Children will observe shapes in natural and built environments; look at nature in new ways by using tools they construct, express feelings about shapes in nature through writing, music, movement and art.

You will see:
* New vocabulary that the children are using in their conversation with you and one another.
* You may notice an increase in adjectives used to describe shape and color.
* children begin to see the connection between static and geometric shapes found in the classroom and in the built environment and the more fluid shapes found in nature.
* indications that the child's experience have helped them form new ideas, or refine old ideas.
* begin to recognize that colors can appear in different shades, patterns, and hues.

Here is a full listing of activities. To find an activity to suit your organization or school's need, to schedule training for educators, or if you have questions, contact us.