Environmental education program adding more Detroit students

DETROIT (AP) — An outdoor learning program is expanding to more Detroit high schools.

Sixty students will be in the Detroit Leadership and Environmental Education Program this fall, the National Wildlife federation said, doubling last year’s enrollment.

The after-school program offers workshops, discussions, field trips and student-led sustainability projects. Students get experience with conservation, explore racial and environmental justice, and learn how they can make a difference in their communities and elsewhere.

Students from University Prep Academy, Marygrove and Western participated in the program last year. More schools are being added this fall.

Concerns about the spread of the coronavirus have changed the way the program is structured. More activities will take place outdoors, and classroom workshops will be offered online rather than in person.

“We know that outdoor activities, with proper safety protocols, are low risk and promote physical and emotional well-being,” said Mike Shriberg, Great Lakes regional director at the National Wildlife Federation. “We also know that meaningful connections with nature are important for youth living in cities.”