HOLLAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — A partnership between Outdoor Discovery Center (ODC) and Ottawa Area Center (OAC), a service of Ottawa Area Intermediate School District that serves the unique educational needs of students ages 3–26 who have cognitive impairments, brings the natural world into classrooms to reinforce student learning.
Outdoor Discovery Center, part of the non-profit education and conservation organization Outdoor Discovery Network focused on connecting people, land, and nature, has worked in collaboration with OAC staff to design and implement instruction that aligns with OAC K-12 science themes and curriculum that meets the individual needs of students since 2010.
Each month, ODC naturalists bring animal artifacts to the classroom including antlers, shells, pelts, leaves, and bark for OAC in-person students to see and touch in a one-on-one situation. Pictures and sound recordings allow vision and hearing impaired students the chance to see and hear the featured animals in the program. ODC staff also bring live animals so students can see and touch and hear the animals, a highlight that always grabs the students’ attention.
“Due to mobility or sensory issues, many of our students are limited in their opportunities to explore nature,” JoAnne Thorsen, director for Ottawa Area Center, said. “When the ODC naturalists bring items to the school it gives our students the ability to experience nature and learning opportunities in ways that may never have happened otherwise.”
This year ODC naturalists and OAC staff adapted the program to allow students learning from home to benefit through virtual visits.
ODC Naturalist Andrea Woody ensured all students could feel included in the lesson by holding live Michigan animals up to the camera, using language that was accessible to students, and integrating video and sound clips alongside the live animals.
Established in 2000, the ODC’s mission has been to connect people, land and nature in engaging and respectful ways in order to advance outdoor education and promote conservation and the restoration of our precious ecosystem. To learn more about ODC Network visit www.outdoordiscovery.org
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