ECO-link
	Mission Statement Holy Spirit Episcopal School initiated its outdoor education program to foster respect, love, and understanding for our environment, to encourage students to pursue mental, physical, and spiritual challenges, and to develop leadership, cooperation, and tolerance. To fulfill this mission, Holy Spirit has established the ECO-link program, which seeks to structure trips, events, and curriculum that enhance student learning in three main areas of focus: Environment, Community, and Outreach. ECO-link Outdoor Education Objectives Environment Explore various ecosystems Evaluate the interdependence within ecosystems Investigate the history of each area that we visit Community Promote class bonding Develop leadership Enhance spirituality Outreach Apply understanding of ecosystems to better their local community Develop tolerance by reaching out to others in the school environment ECO-link Trips for 2010 - 2011 4th Grade: Camp Allen Camp Allen, located in a “piney woods” ecosystem near Navasoto, provides "hands on" educational experiences that enhance classroom learning. The experiences are integrated into a complete program that helps participants gain a well-rounded understanding of current issues, environmental respect, history, and human relationships. 5th Grade: Sky Ranch (skyranch.org) Located in Northeast Texas, Sky Ranch provides our students with a chance to study three different ecosystems, push their boundaries on a challenge course, ride horses, and grow spiritually. 6th Grade: Camp Redcloud (campredcloud.org) Camp Redcloud, located in Southwest Colorado, provides our students with a chance to experience a mountain ecosystem while also focusing on team-building, challenge courses, hiking, horse-back riding, and spiritual development. 7th Grade: Marine Lab (marinelab.org) Located on Key Largo, Florida, Marine Lab's blend of ecology discussions, hands-on investigations, and snorkeling field observations are very effective in teaching marine ecology concepts. Our students will experience this trip for the first time in the fall of 2010. 8th Grade: Chicago Chicago provides an excellent setting for an HSES culminating ECO-link trip to an urban ecosystem, during which students will visit locations that have strong ties to their study of modern U.S. history, ecosystems, physics, visual and performing arts, and other areas of the curriculum. Our students will experience this trip for the first time in May of 2010.