Could bad news drive good change? Test Scores & Mental Health On October 24th the LA Times delivered the news that, as measured by the 2022 Smarter Balanced Assessment System, 2 in 3 students don’t meet California Department of Education’s math standards and more than half did not meet the English standards. [1] Nearly a …
As a college student, my friends and I would occasionally escape to Lizard’s Mouth, away from Isla Vista’s over stimulation or the library’s constant call. We’d drive the distance, walk a bit until we found a nice rock, and then sit. Although the wind and view left us refreshed and humbled, I always left with …
I can still remember the sign, be it in snow, bright green or rusty reds, State Land Boundary Entering High Peaks Wilderness With your help we can be sure this Wilderness will always be a special place This past year the official concept of Wilderness in America turned fifty years old. I have tremendous gratitude …
This past May a bill was introduced to Congress, commonly titled “Healthy Kids Outdoor Act of 2014.” This is a nearly identical version of a bill that was introduced in 2011 and subsequently was not enacted. The prognosis for this bill is similarly grim; most predictive measures give it a less than 5% chance of …
Some kids constantly sweep the ground with their eyes; they are the ones that find all the treasures. Then there are the kids who are constantly stretching the boundaries with their eyes, “Can we go up there?” “Can we just go around the bend?” “Can we follow that trail?” I found myself with the latter …
This past March, The Atlantic stirred the parental pot by publishing, “The Overprotected Kid.” The article details trends in parenting over the last thirty years and goes on to document some of the research regarding those trends, particularly around a child’s sense of risk. The ensuing controversy was likely predictable. Links to the article exploded …
As many of you may realize, the greatness of the natural world can manifest itself in a multitude of ways. Its harmony can relax and cleanse negative tensions, while its unwavering solidity can challenge and even break the strongest of humans. My personal experience has been that the rewards of the former do not come …
Lizard’s Mouth, 11:30 am. It is the pinnacle of October weather: aromatic, golden, warm. A group of kids scamper, pell mell, in and around the boulders, folds and caves. They are looking for a suitable, “Hotel room,” for their teacher. Did I mention it was Thursday? That’s right; school is in session. Wilderness Youth Project …
