US Initiatives
School Reading Activities
After school program facilitates learning about their environmental world through the Arts
Bigfork Art & Cultural Center hosts Love the Wild Foundation's Google Classroom
by Julie Bottum, October 18th, 2021
Love the Wild Foundation with Green Kids Club, Inc. collaborated with the Arts and Literacy After School and Summer Program at Bigfork Art and Cultural Center. This group addresses the educational needs of Bigfork (and surrounding area) children by providing them with art-infused project-based learning opportunities that facilitate development of observational, communication, and collaborative skills with other students to enhance creative processes and find solutions. This six week collaboration embraced the mission to introduce children to the uniqueness and the beauty of our natural world, by educating them about the importance of protecting our planet and its inhabitants.
Together with Sylvia Medina’s children’s book; Grizzly 399 and Love the Wild’s online learning platform, “MentorIC”, students learn about environmental issues through storytelling using books, videos, and other multimedia resources. This program has since turned into a Google Classroom that you can sign up for here.
The focus of this fall's program is Grand Teton National Park and Bridger-Teton National Forest's famous native; Grizzly 399 and her 2020 cubs. Over the course of the six week program with the support of gifted local artists/educators; the kids have learned various art media techniques, techniques of drawing and proportions as they created cartoons and sculpture representation of their understanding of the issues Grizzly 399 and her cubs face and of course Learning about Grizzlies! They were able to take the books with beautiful illustrations by Morgan Spicer and photos by Thomas Mangelsen, an amazing wildlife photographer and use these in their representations.
Field Trips
Most Recent Field Trip: White Pine Stem Academy
Yellowstone
Students from the White Pine Stem Academy went down to Yellowstone to see and learn about the different wonders that appear there. Students visited wonderful spectacles such as Artist Point and learned about the animals around the area at the wolf and grizzly discovery center. The students even got to see a real live bear!!!
One of our goals under the Love the Wild Foundation mission is to make children better environmental stewards. We were so happy to be able to sponsor a 4th grade class field trip to the Teton Science Schools where the children learned about the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Teton Science Schools provides year-round programming for student groups from across the country. Their programs combine fun with learning and studying and observing mountains, glaciers and streams.
Students explored Grand Teton National Park on foot and found out about the WILD in the greater Yellowstone area through focused observation and inquiry. They performed team research and were even able to challenge themselves physically on the Doug Walker Challenge Course!
Trip to the Pinecrest Gardens in Miami
We are excited to be providing support to children who are involved with the Edge Charitable Foundation. The kids were able to go out and visit some beautiful gardens in Miami.
Donations
Our gift of books will go to schools and children to learn about their relationship with our environment.
