HAHIRA – Hahira Middle School seventh- and eighth-grade students are learning survival skills and conservation in an Outdoor Adventure education course.

The Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation promotes the curriculum, which teaches outdoor education to promote and fund conservation of wildlife worldwide.

Scot McClure, OTF director of education, established the Outdoor Adventure education program in nearly 700 K-12 public and private schools across 42 states.

Wendy Newman, health and physical education teacher and softball and archery coach, implemented the curriculum at HMS for the new school year.

Newman said meeting McClure in the spring inspired her.

“The Outdoor Adventure course offers something different for students who may not be interested in the traditional physical activity but they still get to come outside and learn,” Newman said. “All of the students have had a lot of improvement since the beginning of the class.”

The seventh- and eighth-grade students hosted “survivor games,” reflecting what they have learned and mirroring the reality TV show.

Each of the groups are given a list of tasks to accomplish in a set amount of time. 

They are responsible for setting up a survival camp to consist of shelter, water procurement, fire and food source.

Hannan Allen and Camilya Sherman, eighth-grade students, said they have enjoyed everything about the class.

“I do stuff like this in my backyard, when I heard about this class it sounded fun. I have enjoyed working with my hands,” Allen said.

“I have enjoyed the class and learning about building a fire and building shelter from materials that I can find in nature,” Sherman said.

The Outdoor Adventure course will be offered to sixth-grade students after Christmas break, Newman said.