Thanks to a 2023 Go Outside Fund grant, 24 middle and high school students with developmental disabilities were able to have meaningful experiences in the outdoors through the SOAR Thru Summer: Outdoor Adventures program.
A group of young people gather in the grass for a photo. Photo courtesy of SOAR Fox Cities
SOAR Fox Cities is bringing summer fun for ALL
Youth with developmental disabilities don’t always have the same access to outdoor programming as their neurotypical peers, and often become isolated indoors during the summer. The incredible team at SOAR Fox Cities is trying to change that. SOAR Fox Cities’ mission is to empower people with differing abilities – and through the SOAR Thru Summer: Outdoor Adventures program last summer, that’s just what they did.
Through this program, students with developmental disabilities engaged with nature through educational presentations, hands-on learning, and immersive sensory experiences.
The teens (age 11-18) received a lesson on woodsy critters at Heckrodt Wetland Reserve, learned about local plants at the new Children’s Garden at Green Bay Botanical Garden, and got their hands dirty gardening from seed to harvest at Riverview Gardens.
Molly is not able to stay home alone, and there are essentially no summer activities for teenagers. We could really see the benefits of the engaging, positive activities at SOAR Thru Summer rather than being isolated at home with a caregiver and spending time on the iPad! It was a perfect blend of structure, fun, and learning. We can’t wait for next year!
Barriers to the outdoors for youth with disabilities
Lack of accessible programming. Many camps, excursions, or programs don’t have the resources to accommodate their unique social, emotional, education, or physical needs within their neurotypical programming.
Not all outdoor spaces are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Unless they’ve previously been there, families oftentimes must do ample research to ensure the spaces they’ve chosen to explore are accessible to their loved one. It can be frustrating to arrive at a space only to leave because they can’t engage with the environment. This can also discourage future exploration.
Structured programming during the summer is very limited. This leaves families often struggling to find care, dependent on individual caregivers, or working from home while also supervising their teens who are not able to stay home alone. In these situations, quite simply, staying indoors often is just an easier option as other needs take priority.
A student planting seeds in a tray of soil. Photo courtesy of SOAR Fox Cities
Goals of the SOAR Thru Summer: Outdoor Adventures program
- Participants would show appropriate social behaviors at activities
- Participants would increase their knowledge of nature as it pertains to each Outdoor Adventure
- Participants would increase their interest and enjoyment in nature
The program accomplished all of these goals and more. Program leaders expressed their excitement observing students becoming more and more interested in nature and enjoying their time spent outdoors. Throughout the entire program, students were excited to participate and improved various social skills. Each Outdoor Adventure offered students new knowledge about nature, particularly about animals and their habitats and the lifecycle of plants.
It is so good for our students’ physical, mental, and emotional health to have safe and enjoyable time outdoors, but unfortunately teens with disabilities are often isolated during the summer. The ability to provide this opportunity means so much to their families, and has so many positive impacts on our students!
A student smiling while painting on an easel outside. Photo courtesy of SOAR Fox Cities
NRF’s Go Outside Fund covered all the program costs at Heckrodt Wetland Reserve and partially covered transportation costs to both the Green Bay Botanical Garden and Riverview Gardens.
We were so happy to see my son form friendships with peers his own age, which is something he often struggles with. He was able to get out in the community and do things he wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise, like art and music events, sensory gyms, and exploring the outdoors. He came home so happy every day it spilled over to the rest of the family. Thank you so much for creating such an amazing summer for our son!
A smiling student holding up a rock with a face drawn on it. Photo courtesy of SOAR Fox Cities
Supporting nature-based learning experiences
Thank you to NRF’s supporters who make work like this possible through the Go Outside Fund!
The Go Outside Fund provides funding that helps connect youth to outdoor, nature-based learning experiences. Teachers or partner organizations may apply for funding to cover costs that facilitate getting kids outside and hands-on with nature, such as purchasing field supplies, or paying for transportation, substitute teachers, or educator costs.
Interested in supporting nature-based learning experiences? Donations to the fund can be made online at www.WisConservation.Org/Give and should be designated to the “Go Outside Fund.”
Written by Emma Schatz, Digital Communications Coordinator