AMC Director of Education to focus on getting families outdoors and outdoor environmental education in the classroom

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 30, 2009

As part of the Appalachian Mountain Club’s (AMC) continued commitment to getting youth and families outdoors, the AMC’s Director of Education, Pam Hess, will present at the upcoming New Hampshire Children in Nature Coalition Conference and Boston Youth Environmental Network Summit.

NH Children in Nature Coalition “Building Nature-based Communities” Conference
On October 1, Hess will offer two interactive workshops designed by the AMC to help parents feel more comfortable outside with their kids:

• AMC’s “Hiking as a Family” workshop will address common parental fears for taking kids into the woods and offer proper planning and outdoor safety advice for families to enjoy the benefits of hiking together.
  

• AMC’s “Staying Safe and Found” workshop for parents and kids will cover preparation and safe travel in the woods through hands-on activities and a demonstration of what kids should carry to stay safe and avoid getting lost.
  

Materials for both AMC workshops will be available for free to individuals and groups interested in sharing these programs in their local communities.

For conference details, visit http://wildnh.com/ChildrenInNature.

Boston Youth Environmental Network “Environmental Education” Summit
On October 16, Hess will discuss the AMC’s work with Boston Public School teachers to incorporate the outdoors into classroom curriculum through the AMC's Youth Opportunities Program and A Mountain Classroom program. Hess also will facilitate a session between local non-profits and teachers to further this effort. For conference details, visit www.environetwork.org/EESummit.

Pam Hess holds a Master of Science degree in Natural Resources in Environmental Education from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Biology from the University of Vermont. Her areas of expertise as the AMC’s Director of Education for the past eight years include outdoor education and skills for grades K-12 and urban youth programs, No Child Left Inside federal legislation, state and local environmental education initiatives in the Northeast, and engaging youth and families in the outdoors.

Each year, the AMC serves nearly 40,000 young people through lodge- and hut-based family programs, school programs, guided teen adventures, and programs for at-risk youth. These AMC programs include A Mountain Classroom, Moosehead Area Schools Project, Youth Opportunities Program, destination-based opportunities such as AMC Jr. Naturalist and Family Adventure Camps, Teen Wilderness Adventures, and teen volunteer trail crews. In addition, many AMC chapters offer local, close-to-home programs for families in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.

For more information about AMC’s education programs for youth and youth workers, visit www.outdoors.org/education. The AMC's free “Hiking as a Family” and “Staying Safe and Found” workshop materials will be available soon on the AMC's website.

Founded in 1876, the Appalachian Mountain Club is America’s oldest conservation and recreation organization. With more than 100,000 members, advocates, and supporters in the Northeast and beyond, the nonprofit AMC promotes the protection, enjoyment, and stewardship of the mountains, forests, waters, and trails of the Appalachian region. The AMC supports natural resource conservation while encouraging responsible recreation, based on the philosophy that successful, long-term conservation depends upon first-hand enjoyment of the natural environment.