JUNIOR NATURALIST PROGRAM

Character Development through Service Learning

Jeffers Foundation has observed that the child who goes outdoors to do something for someone else is a happier and more productive child.

The Jeffers Junior Naturalist program has been designed to give a group of children basically in 3rd through 5th grade opportunities to participate in service learning activities in their schools and communities. As the children move into higher grades the appellation changes and they become Eco-teams or some such.

These students learn sound principles of stewardship and then become mentors in their schools and families. In many schools these are the leaders of the recycling and food waste reduction programs, these are they who will help develop and maintain outdoor "classroom" areas, these are they who inspire the community towards better stewardship.