Family Services has implemented The Walking Classroom at both of our afterschool sites. It is used at Clinton Elementary School and Krieger Elementary School, located in the City of Poughkeepsie School District.
Our program serves youth from kindergarten through 6th grade. All groups participate in various activities based on their age and development. We currently have youth from our older groups participate with staff to engage in The Walking Classroom. There are twenty students who participate.
The youth have created their walking routes both in the interior and exterior areas of the school buildings. They first began the program by utilizing the Spanish introductions to the podcasts. This created excitement. Our participants were able to speak with the ESL participants enrolled in our program as well as our bilingual staff!
As the implementation continued, they began selecting their subjects. They based their choices on the topics they were learning in school. They reported back to their teachers the information they learned while traveling the halls of the school with such enthusiasm and excitement! Now, the teachers themselves have become interested in The Walking Classroom as well.
Jessica Wallach
Youth Services Coordinator
Family Services – Poughkeepsie Central School District
That sounds awesome Jessica! Our students really like the Spanish introductions on the podcasts as well. The majority of our students speak Spanish as their native language, and this addition to the podcasts really makes them smile at the beginning of our walks. We also have a Spanish immersion program here, so all of our students benefit when the podcasts mirror what is going on in our classrooms as far as language development! Thanks for sharing your story!