Kids & Education
At ISB ’ s Environmental Wilderness Campus , students put down their devices and get into the outdoors
by Shannon Frandsen
You ’ ve seen it a thousand times , in the bustling malls of Bangkok , in the BTS , in the rooms of our own homes : An adult , a teenager , or even a child , endures just a few fleeting seconds of inactivity and then it happens — a hand in a pocket , a fluid motion , and out comes the phone . The digital glow of the screen is beginning to supplant , interrupt , and replace the natural glow of the real world .
This is , for many children , the very fabric of the 21 st century . Parents fight it . Educators struggle with it . Children don ’ t even notice it , because , for most of them , it has been the only world they have ever known .
Says the Child Mind Institute , a nonprofit organization : “ The national panic about kids spending too much time indoors has become so extreme that the crisis has a name : nature deficit disorder .”
While being plugged in has numerous learning benefits , it also can lead to a certain kind of disconnect — one that deeply concerns many parents and teachers . The growing worry : If today ’ s young people continue to spend so much time indoors or on screens , they will struggle with being present and able to communicate with others in an authentic and real way . Just as importantly , they will miss the great potential for learning that the outdoors has to offer .
This is why outdoor learning programs within education are both increasingly crucial and growing in popularity .
WHY OUTDOOR EDUCATION ?
Extensive research has underscored the positive impact of outdoor learning . In addition to improving wellbeing , outdoor education programs build resilience and what you might call “ grit ,” two important factors for success in today ’ s society . This research is based on studies about how children learn best , how their brains process information and respond to outdoor opportunities , and how to prepare children for the world of uncertainty they will one day face when entering the workforce .
“ Nature ,” Kitson Jazynka writes in National Geographic , “ has a lot to teach . From building observation skills to problem solving to gaining confidence , the outdoors can help kids gain important life skills .”
International School Bangkok ( ISB ) is carving out a special place and time for their students to experience nature . To support the school ’ s ongoing Outdoor Education Program , called “ Wild Panthers ,” ISB has developed and built an Environmental Wilderness Campus ( EWC ) in Petchaburi province .
Outdoor education programs build resilience and what you might call ‘ grit ,’ two important factors for success in today ’ s society .
And here ’ s the kicker : It allows no devices for students . None . The center is equipped for parents to receive updates about trips and to reach their children in times of emergency , but the students are disconnected .
“ The students will be in situations that require them to problem-solve , communicate their ideas clearly and reach the best decision — all without the ability to access information or communicate through electronic devices ,” says Elliott Bowyer , Director of Outdoor Education at ISB .
“ These exercises help students develop critical thinking and communication skills ,” he says . “ The complete disconnect from screens allows them to be totally present and engaged .”
The Environmental Wilderness Campus ( EWC ) will provide a base for many of ISB ’ s Outdoor Education programs , offering activities such as hiking , navigation and orienteering exercises , canoeing and kayaking and more .
Students will embark on adventures and get involved in local community projects as well .
The entire ISB community will benefit from the facilities : Students can partake in fieldwork for environment and science activities ; sports teams can use the grounds to perform team-building exercises , and there will be retreats and artist and writer-in-residence programs .
The facility will have solar power , and it has also been equipped with a greywater system — a way to treat many forms of wastewater and make it useable again . Learning about these sustainable initiatives forms part of the program for learners and guests .
The students ’ feedback to ISB ’ s outdoor education programs over the years guided the development of the wilderness campus . During the planning process , the ISB administration reached out to various schools around the world , including reviews of Geelong Grammar School ’ s Outdoor Education Campus , Timbertop , where students go and spend up to one year away at their center , and the Western Academy of Beijing ( WAB ).
Research focused on what other international schools are doing . Why ? Because international schools require a different model , one that takes the transient nature of their communities into account and allows for short trips with more intensive experiences .
WHAT ABOUT SAFETY ?
Parents are understandably concerned about safety when it comes to wilderness experiences . ISB administrators vigorously examined and mitigated risks through a combination of their own research and independent
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