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Ryan Pleune left a comment for Rebecca Richardson

February 3

Rebecca Richardson left a comment for Ryan Pleune

January 30

Ryan Pleune commented on Ryan Pleune's video 'Growing Greener Schools - MAEOE featured'

A powerful movement - Be part of something bigger than yourself! Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who…

January 29

Ryan Pleune added a video

January 29

Ryan Pleune commented on Paul Kazyak's blog post 'need help on a scout project'

I'll contact a couple of the MAEOE Green Centers - I think Steve Heacock in Carroll County would be a good resource.

January 29

Ryan Pleune updated their profile

January 29

Ryan Pleune updated their profile photo

January 29

Ryan Pleune is now a member of Wilderness Awareness School Village

Welcome Them!

January 29

Profile Information

Programs/classes you've taken with Wilderness Awareness School?

Just learning from Paul Kayzak to help galvanize youth to organize the MD Green School Youth Summit with MAEOE - The event is June 4th 2010 at Sandy Point State Park.

My vision to combine education reform and environmental literacy began as a wilderness therapy instructor in Montana. Stories whispered to me in the privacy of the wilderness by teenagers victimized through sexual abuse and damaged from needles producing euphoric highs intensified my passion to affect change in our society. These experiences also shaped my understanding of environmental literacy and the external and internal development that occurs with individuals and groups of people as this “literacy” is developed.

Spinning bow-drills to make fire, hiking to clean water sources, collecting edible plants and learning about native cultures, we taught traditional school academic standards in physical and life sciences, math, reading, and social studies. During the 60 days these adjudicated youth spent in the Montana backcountry we practiced “leave no trace principles” and completed service projects for the National Forest System. Our work had positive impacts on habitat restoration and land management and our living was sustainable. The external benefits of environmental literacy were the improvement of environmental quality and the increase in knowledge of ecosystem functions. We also witnessed a positive impact on the internal development of individuals in our groups. They demonstrated tremendous emotional growth as they restored trails, planted trees and shrubs, and learned about the ecosystem that supports their lives. Statistics show that only four out of ten students return to the juvenile justice system upon graduation from this program. Compared to state detention centers with a recidivism rate of seven out of ten for the same demographic, it seems clear that there is a profound psychological healing effect when humans reconnect with the wild and natural environment. My definition of environmental literacy is informed by this aspect of learning about the environment and acting in service to it. In transition to a career as a high school teacher in Utah, I mapped out our state Biology and Earth Systems standards with this definition as a guiding principle.

Affiliations?

MAEOE
MD Green School Coordinator
Masters in Ecological Teaching and Learning
High School Science Teacher
Three Rivers and Alternative Youth Adventures - Wilderness Therapy Instructor

Ryan Pleune's Videos

Growing Greener Schools - MAEOE featured

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At 9:20am on January 30, 2010, Rebecca Richardson said…: Ryan,
Are there camps in Utah or just in Washington? I gave birth to a son in Sept. and have thought a lot about wanting him to be connected to this planet in authentic ways. This program seems to provide youth with exciting opportunities.

bec
p.s. How are you?