REGIONAL CHAIR ALAN CASLIN CONTRIBUTES $10,000
TO KIDS CAMP FUND FROM ANNUAL CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT
“Children and families often have limited opportunities to connect with nature-it is my goal as Regional Chair to ensure that every child has the chance to experience the beauty of what our Region has to offer”, states Caslin, “The health benefits of connecting with nature is well documented and I am confident this program will have a wide-reaching positive impact on our communities.”
Ball’s Falls Conservation Area is the centre of education programming and public education within the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA), hosting over 7000 students annually. Over the past number of years, the introduction of high quality, curriculum based, and interactive programs has given children the opportunity to explore the natural environment through hands-on experiences.
“Some students are linguistic learners, some are visual/spatial learners, while others are naturalistic and kinaesthetic learners”, says Education Programing Assistant Jill Walters-Klamer, “Outdoor education emphasizes many learning styles that are difficult to replicate in the classroom. Chair Caslins’ generous donation will help us extend this experience to even more children, and we are very thankful for his support.”
Outdoor education reduces Attention Deficit Disorder symptoms, allowing those affected with ADD to excel in an environment that best suits their learning abilities. It has also been proven to improve academic performance, one study showing an increase of 27% in science testing scores by those that participated in outdoor education programs (American Institutes for Research, 2005).
The camp fund will be in effect in time for the upcoming 2017 Summer Camp season. Parents interested can email achristie@npca.ca after May 1st for registration information. Only applicants who meet program eligibility requirements will be accepted.
