Outdoor education in Calabria

Originating in Northern European countries, in recent years outdoor education is also seeing rapid growth in Italy.

Many environmental education projects are now part of the 2030 Agenda and therefore fall within the objectives linked to sustainable development proposed by the UN. Over the next eight years, it will be crucial for parents and educators to mobilize young people towards responsible action, adopting the correct methods and approaches for various age groups.

The fate of our planet could not be seen otherwise, and the responsibility for such a great future lies precisely in the hands of the little ones, therefore it is strictly necessary to educate today's children more and more to become the aware adults of tomorrow. Involving them in small daily gestures not only helps improve the conditions of the Earth, but also makes them grow more aware of their role

Outdoor education is certainly a rapidly growing phenomenon and the recent pandemic has given it a great acceleration. It is the new idea of ​​avant-garde education that from today schools and institutes can adopt with outdoor educational activities.

Among schools, cooperatives and sports associations, Rivertribe adventure also multiplies initiatives that promote this educational approach to the environment; creating a vegetable garden, following its growth process, a walk in the woods, putting up a tent or consciously lighting a fire. The outdoor environment is a place extremely rich in educational and training opportunities, therefore the objective of outdoor education is to increase one's socialization skills in a context of mutual respect, care and attention for the surrounding environment.

The River Tribe school camp has been active for some time in the area of ​​Laino Borgo (Cs). An engaging experience that allows children to develop their individual skills and grow in the group by offering them, outside of school classrooms and homes, the mere discovery of the benefits of life in the open air.

For us, the most important value is that learning processes are guided by children's intrinsic motivation, which is expressed through spontaneous games, explorations, curiosity, project proposals and interactions with people and environments.

Always accompanied by expert guides, they are introduced to the outdoor world with a playful and stimulating system. An important moment of socialization and "technological detox" to disconnect them from the internet and instead connect them with the environment and nature.

Specifically, with a basic survival course, the kids will learn how to set up the base camp, sleep in a tent, light a fire, orient themselves and recognize the cardinal points without instruments, swim in the river and much more.

Furthermore, with the basic first aid course they will experience the procedures and behavior to be followed to provide assistance to companions in difficulty, learning to manage emotions and fears, a series of experiences based on sociomotor and exploratory activities typical of Adventure education (orienteering, trekking, etc.). In all these activities the centrality of the external environment is recognized, seen as a privileged place for development and growth.

The Outdoor education training offer therefore includes a numerous range of educational activities ranging from perceptual-sensory experiences. In the forest, sensory experiences are present in their fullness and involve all five senses. Nature welcomes and supports his psychomotor development by choosing for the enormous educational benefit, which is expressed on the physical, emotional and behavioral side, but also obviously with regards to "ecological consciousness".