Tyler ISD has embarked on a new Physical Education Program, Outdoor Education, that allows students to practice and enjoy outdoor activities while learning to complete tasks independently.
Through the Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation and an anonymous donor, Tyler ISD can now introduce students who may not otherwise experience outdoor activities to try them firsthand. The Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to helping students further develop their outdoor skills and to promoting wildlife conservation.
The first campus to take part in this program was Peete Elementary, where students had the opportunity to interact with outdoor equipment while applying academic skills, including mathematics. In one activity, students used fishing rods to catch plastic fish and place them inside hula hoops. The student who collected the most fish in their hoop won the game.
In addition to fishing with rods and reels, students are introduced to camping and survival skills, such as cooking in cast-iron Dutch ovens and using a compass.
“Our teachers had a blast when they were trained,” said Physical Education Coordinator Haley Skinner. “I know the students are going to do the same. That's what we want, smiles on their faces while they learn something new. Some students will never have the opportunity to fish, but now they will.”
The Outdoor Education program will be available to all Tyler ISD schools in the fall.
For more information, contact Jennifer Hines at Jennifer.Hines@TylerISD.org.