Naturally Home Schooled, A Home School Special Series

About the Program

Category: Civic Education and Public Information (Best in Category)

Year: 2010

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department’s McDowell nature Center developed a program to provide outdoor recreation and environmental education for the County’s 2,956 home schools and their 6,296 students. Their county home school population has tripled over the last decade, and home educators face many of the same challenges as those in public schools. They struggle with more students, fewer resources, and stricter learning standards. Park and Recreation staff saw an opportunity to provide nature-based, curriculum-supported programs to help this population meet those challenges. With the help of several members of the target home school population, their staff identified obstacles of the current system and needs of the population. “Naturally Home Schooled: A Home School Special Series” was developed to introduce students to several outdoor recreational activities, meet science standards through environmental topics, and provide a Nature Science Fair for students in the home school population to participate in.