ACADEMY IN ACTION: A CHILD’S UNIVERSE

03 Jun ACADEMY IN ACTION: A CHILD’S UNIVERSE

“Teaching children about the natural world should be treated as one of the most important events in their lives,” Thomas Berry

The fearlessness and fascination in children jibes with a special connection with their surroundings. Young people easily inhabit a beautifully blended mind space of respect and reverie that generates a unique universe which sadly fades from memory as we age.

Theirs is a universe is filled with magic and mystery embodied in the simple and often overlooked creatures and corners of our day-to-day lives. The time children spend outside observing and interacting with their surroundings appears to be a rite of passage that evokes a blessed world of the unknown that plays out like a movie on the big screen. There is no script or screenplay to kids’ stories, rather a free-form improvisation that reflects a bottomless pit of creativity and imagination unique to a child’s mind. Characters consist of a collection of crawly creatures, fluttering wings and beckoning tree branches. Erratic and inspiring flight of a butterfly, the sound of a rocketing hummingbird, the sighting of a slowly swimming fish or the night’s first lightning bug offers more fodder. Events that never make headlines bring forth declarations of joyful amazement and excitement. Even bugs and branches provide a tactile experience that bridges the ever-widening gap between humans and nature. And all these simple observations and interactions plant the seeds of wonder and curiosity in children’s minds that contribute to the countless questions about their environment. “Why is the sky blue?” is just the beginning.

As we grow up, we dissect or discredit the mysteries of childhood. Through a natural progression of education and distraction, we lose the ability to return to such magical kingdoms. I, however, am among the lucky few who get to work with kids all summer at the Telluride Academy. There I am invited to once again appreciate the unknown and overlooked. There I have the opportunity to spend time celebrating the magic. Answer endless questions. Satisfy curiosity.

Bring on the summer!