A River Runs Through AZ

WILD WORLD EDUCATION'S A RIVER RUNS THROUGH ARIZONA

"Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it." - Norman Maclean

DISCOVERY OF THE WORLD A River Runs Through Arizona offers a fun, hands-on educational program that helps youth form foundational connections between the river and all inhabitants of the beautiful Sonoran Desert. Wild World takes teen youth (ages 15 - 17) on a Salt River journey within wild, rural and urban spaces, and offers “living opportunities” for youth to relax, play in, and enjoy outdoor experiences that promote engaged learning. A River experience naturally entices youth to explore, observe, wonder, investigate and imagine new ideas about our home. Daily learning adventures along the river enliven youth’s full sensory range; fortify physical, social/emotional, intellectual and spiritual wellbeing; and optimize multi-intelligence development. And, A River provides the freedom our youth crave in order to discover the world, how all of life fits into it, and how we are accountable to all the relationships within it. EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING Wild World Educators guide place-based, expeditionary experiences in the sciences & humanities that help form relational understandings about the world, as academic subjects come alive for each student: Whole Human Health & Nutrition River Sciences, Riparian & Edge Ecology Geographic Features of the Sonoran Desert Plant & Animal Wildlife Natural Patterns & Business Math Culture, History & Economy Multipurpose Reclamation Human Impact (urban development, conservation & wildlife restoration)

STEWARDSHIP & CITIZENSHIP A River nurtures youth’s whole-child development, naturally preparing them for a healthy and responsible adulthood. Our youth: Experience daily living connections within nature, and with adult mentors and peers Awaken their bodies through full sensory experiences Engage in healthy risk taking and competence building Discover the Salt River in relationship to both natural & social worlds Deepen their appreciation of the Salt River system as a dynamic, life-giving source Grow in their awareness of human impact and accountability

PILOT PROJECT GOAL Wild World Education’s A River Runs Through Arizona is a pilot project to further public support for comprehensive, place-based curricula as a sustainable, effective and financially feasible approach to teaching the sciences and humanities to secondary learners – education that is invaluable in ensuring future stewardship and citizenship. The pilot project benefits teen youth throughout Arizona. Project outcomes include resources for schools that foster youth engagement and connection - ultimately impacting the trajectory of Arizona's Youth Disconnection Crisis as our community comes together to support education that includes the whole human development of our 21st century youth. To learn more about our Salt River Journeys for teen youth, visit A River Runs Through Arizona Spring Break Learning Adventure; Comprehensive Place-based Experience and Support A River. WE ARE GRATEFUL TO IRONWOOD TREE EXPERIENCE FOR THEIR SPONSORSHIP!

"When properly facilitated, outdoor education is a sensory learning experience that has nothing to do with memorization or comprehension, instead it is about immersion and absorption on a cellular level. By picking up rocks, hearing the calls of birds, smelling the blooming creosote, and watching the clouds race through the sky, lessons about the world and how we fit into it become programmed into the brain – an experience that can not be replicated through books, videos, smart boards or computers.” - Matthew Nelson, AZ Trail Association Executive Director

COMING FALL 2017...

A RIVER RUNS THROUGH ARIZONA

Fall Break Learning Adventure

SUPPORT A RIVER ...

INVEST IN

Sustainable Education

Cultural Wellness & Family Enrichment Center

Contact Us

P.O. Box 1133 Scottsdale, AZ 85252 I info@culturalwellness.org I 602.432.3707