Purpose of Flying WILD
The purpose of the Flying WILD program is to engage middle schools in bird education efforts with the intent of encouraging increased environmental stewardship among youth. Special emphasis is placed on creating an approach that is readily adaptable for urban schools, often with underserved students who traditionally receive few opportunities to participate in environmental education initiatives.
Take a Peek Inside...
Flying WILD: An Educator's Guide to Celebrating Birds includes these key elements:
An overview for teachers
Details how school bird festivals and International Migratory Bird Day events can provide enriching and meaningful experiences for students while meeting educational objectives in science, social studies, language arts, etc.
Communicates best practices for urban educators.
Provide students with ample opportunity to learn about basic avian biology, migratory bird facts, bird identification (bird flash cards) and environmental issues affecting migratory birds...before, during, and after a Flying WILD bird festival.
Includes NFWF’s bird education website, additional bird education materials, bird education groups, other applicable web sites, posters, maps, and videos on migratory birds and IMBD.
Encourages students and teachers to provide program feedback.
Provides guidance for schools in securing supplies and donations for Flying WILD festivals and action projects.
Accompany each activity and indicate the activity's specific correlations to National Science Education Standards.
Accompany each activity as a means of assessing student knowledge and attitudes as they learn more about birds and their conservation needs.
Provides ideas for potential bird-related service-learning projects, including a case study of one successful project, and step-by-step instructions for participating in an ongoing nationwide bird count.Ready to attending a Flying WILD training? Click here to contact your state coordinator or city partner today!
