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*Despalazese al final de pagina para ver la versi\u00f3n en espa\u00f1ol.<\/em><\/p>\n Two world heritage sites, 28 national parks, and 2,000-year-old redwoods. There is no doubt that California\u2019s natural beauty is stunning. Yet in 2016, 78% of all American campers were white, and 29% earned over $100,000 annually, according to a recent report<\/span><\/a> by the Outdoor Foundation. While indigenous communities have incorporated the natural world into learning and life for generations, outdoor recreation emerged after World War II as a privileged pastime of the white elite. At Rocketship we want to address this gap, and take advantage of the rich natural resources right in our backyards.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The benefits of having contact with nature are endless. Meaningful time spent outdoors can reduce symptoms of attention-deficit disorder and increase memory, and is also associated with lower rates of depression. Exploring the outdoors introduces children to new sights and sounds and broadens their perspective beyond their immediate families and neighborhoods. Apart from creating transformative experiences for more youth, narrowing the \u201cadventure gap\u201d also helps conservation efforts by exposing a new generation to the importance and beauty of our environment. The great outdoors also offers endless opportunities to teach science as a hands-on, engaging subject to ignite kids’ love of environmental and geological sciences.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This year, all of our fourth and fifth graders from each of our Bay Area schools have the opportunity to spend an entire week in the great outdoors at science camp. Through Rocketship\u2019s partnership with the Web of Life Field (WOLF) School<\/a>, a non-profit that specializes in providing transformative outdoor education programs to youth, Rocketeers got some quality time with redwoods, the starry night sky, and some rigorous science curriculum just outside of Yosemite National Park at Camp Tuolumne Trails.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0Camp Monte Toyon<\/span><\/a>\u00a0on the Central Coast welcomes other Rocketeers throughout the Bay for rock climbing and outdoor learning. \u201cWe have vast natural resources in California, yet many of our students have never left San Jose,\u201d said one Rocketship teacher. \u00a0\u201cWhile we teach science in our schools, it is the hands-on learning that makes science come alive.\u201d<\/p>\n By getting our Rocketeers outdoors, we provide them with a unique opportunity to experience the interconnectedness of the natural world, themselves, and their communities. Our Rocketeers certainly had a blast at camp this year, and in the process got to experience a little adventure, and a lot of hands-on learning. One teacher said it best, when she noted, \u201cthere is a new level of trust and maturity seen in students after a week of outdoor science school. It allows them to be their truer self.\u201d But don\u2019t take our word for it. Check out the photos below to see our fourth and fifth grade campers in action. And to our schools who are going to camp this spring – get excited!<\/p>\n\n\t\t