Examining environmental learning experiences at an earth education summer camp

Abstract

Many barriers restrict children’s access to nature resulting in negative consequences, including a lack of opportunities to learn and engage with the natural environment. Fortunately, environmental education programs offer participants an opportunity to counteract these challenges. While the benefits of environmental education as measured by pre-determined outcomes are well documented, research focused on participants’ perceptions and preferences related to their environmental learning experiences continues to be under-represented in the literature. Using a pre-/post-test survey approach, this study aimed to explore how an earth education summer camp, Sunship Earth ^TM, contributed to participants environmental learning experiences. Results suggest that Sunship Earth ^TM provides children with various EL opportunities that help to increase their understanding of some ecological concepts. Results also suggest that this learning experience may have helped to broaden participants’ understanding of environmental issues and actions, as well as enhance feelings of care, interest, and responsibility towards the environment.

Keywords:

• Children
• environmental learning
• environmental education
• summer camps
• nature exposure

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Dr. Kate Sherren who provided feedback on initial project development and provided feedback for the manuscript. Finally, thank you to Simon Greenland-Smith who provided assistance with statistical analysis.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest or financial interests in the presentation of this research.

Additional information

Funding

This paper draws on research supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (Grant no. 45952); the Government of Nova Scotia (Grant no. 12007); and Dalhousie University Faculty of Graduate Studies (Grant no. 11006).