Our mission is to inspire wonder, understanding and connection to the natural world through playful, outdoor, scientific inquiry.
What We Know:
The best ways to raise children who will work towards sustainability are through thoughtfully mentored nature connection and projects guided by student voices.
Students in nature should explore, wander, imagine, and touch in order to identify as part of the natural world.
Learning begins with students’ ideas and is based on their backgrounds, experiences, and stories.
It is important and appropriate to study local places before faraway places.
Teaching children about environmental problems does not, on its own, inspire environmental action. The pathway to action is complicated.
Creating and telling stories is how students best integrate new information.
Students should reflect on their learning experiences throughout the school day.
Long term projects and in -depth investigations on topics are more effective than short, discrete units of learning
Our work is valuable, and should be accessible to all those who want it.
A healthy workplace is one that values the contributions of each employee and one that provides a culture that is nurturing, innovative, community oriented, and thrives on healthy communication.
We envision communities in which people understand, celebrate and protect the ecosystems to which they belong.
The goals of our work are to:
Inspire a love of nature and a sense of stewardship in all people.
Produce ecologically literate citizens.
Teach science the way field scientists conduct science; through asking questions, making observations, collecting data, assembling and sharing ideas, and creating original work
Facilitate educational experiences that foster big picture understanding, creative and analytical thinking, independence, and collaboration.
Bring young people into connection with the important and unique qualities of the place where they live.
Empower school administrators, teachers, camp directors and other professionals to instruct students outdoors as part of the curriculum.
Advocate for developmentally appropriate, locally-based, permanent curriculum based on authentic, inquiry based learning.
Foster ongoing relationships between local people and local public lands.
Improve schools’ abilities to provide engaging, meaningful, project-based learning.
Provide joyful, engaging, authentic inquiry into the natural world.
Model best practices in project based learning anchored in the local environment.
Work for equality and access to effective and meaningful, sensory rich education for all in our community.
Our Values
Kestrel is, and always has been, deeply committed to the principles of scientific inquiry, environmental sustainability, and access to excellent K-12 education for all. At this moment in the clock of the world, we feel strongly that we need to explicitly state some of these principles:
We stand for scientific integrity and a continuing process of discovery. We understand that there is scientific consensus that climate change is real, human-caused, and a threat to the future of human and other life on Earth.
We stand for strong action to limit climate change, including collaboration with other nations.
We stand for building a healthy relationship among humans and the natural resources on which they depend, and we respect the original inhabitants of our lands.
We stand for children's ability to have a voice in their education and to be given fair access to educational services and to be able to enjoy their education without fear of persecution based on race, religion, family income, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or immigration status.
We strongly advocate critical thinking and, as educators, never prescribe opinions or ideas. However, as an organization, we will work for policies and laws that further the health of the natural world and humanity's place within it.