Rotary Club of Falmouth has been focusing their efforts currently on the youth in the community. In an attempt to reduce the risk of COVID-19 and encourage fresh air and nature breaks, the Falmouth Outdoor Learning Committee, spearheaded by Rotarian Amy Leonardi, is working to create and coordinate outdoor learning spaces for Falmouth’s seven public schools.
The club was awarded a matching District Grant which was used to purchase supplies for the four elementary schools. But the work did not stop there. Currently the club has inspired the community into not only raising funds to help support the infrastructure but also have inspired 148 local volunteers including children on a regular schedule to help make the project possible. The total hours put into the project between both Rotarians and local volunteers across all ages has been over 29 hours and counting.
The benefits are numerous not only helping with physical health during a world pandemic, but also helping to benefit the mental health of the students. Currently we are investing in outdoor and environmental curriculum and even cultural curriculum unique to Cape Cod through the Native Last Trust. We are also teaching the children through to be good stewards of humanity and that people can come together for the greater good.
The project is a unique collaboration between the Falmouth Outdoor Learning Committee and the public schools (this has never been done on such a wide scale prior in the public school sector) that’s been featured in numerous print, radio, and television stories, as well as a photo-feature on the front page of the digital New York Times and most recently an article featuring the project in their education section.
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