The Georgia 4-H EE program uses the outdoors as classrooms without walls to provide overnight academic field studies for students in public, private, homeschool, and home-based learning in grades K-12.
Wahsega offers 3-day, 2-day and 1-day program package options. Customized variations of the program packages are available.
Participants report an increase in 1) student relationships with their classmates; 2) student relationships with their teacher; 3) environmental awareness; 4) environmental behavioral intent; and 5) connectedness to nature.
4-H Environmental Education Enhances Student Learning
Teachers, students, parents and administrators need to know why Environmental Education is important. This download answers that question in an easy to use PDF document format. Feel free to use our text in your presentations on the importance of environmental education experiences.
Wahsega EE Field Study Objectives
- To develop an awareness, knowledge and appreciation for the environment
- To cultivate curiosity, critical reasoning and evaluation
- To develop positive relationships among students and their teachers
- To make the school program more meaningful by applying knowledge and skills acquired in the classroom to real life situations
- To provide experiences in using scientific processes, such as observing, measuring and classifying
- To develop self-confidence and physical fitness
- To develop appreciation for the local and natural history of an area
About Georgia 4-H
- One of the nation’s largest residential environmental education programs
- As a program of the University of Georgia’s Cooperative Extension, Georgia 4-H Environmental Education was first implemented at Rock Eagle 4-H Center in 1979. Since then over 1.2 million students from 500 different schools, representing six Southeastern states have participated in the program.
- There are five 4-H state facilities representing “living laboratories” in the mountain, coastal, and piedmont habitats of Georgia.
- Forty to forty-five seasonal staff are hired annually as 4-H Environmental Educators to assist the visiting classroom teachers. Classes at each center are taught cooperatively by on site staff and teachers from the school.
- The 4-H Environmental Education Program serves more than 37,000 students each school year.
Contact
 Our Environmental Education Program Coordinator at:
Wahsega 4-H Center
77 Cloverleaf Trail
Dahlonega, GA 30533
Phone: (706) 864-2050
Email:Â wahsega@uga.edu
The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (working cooperatively with Fort Valley State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the counties of Georgia) offers its educational programs, assistance, and materials to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation or protected veteran status and is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action organization.