And then there is "Cool Camp." Once a month throughout the school year, our elementary students participate in an overnight camping trip on a 110-acre site outside of Yosemite National Park. Dubbed "Cool Camp" by the students, these excursions offer a natural extension to the KMS curriculum, with hands-on lessons in astronomy, geology, biology?including the effects of the changing seasons on the natural world and its denizens?a different focus each month that connects to a current classroom topic. (In a favorite project that relates to the study of indigenous people, their history and culture, students gather wild acorns, grind them into a mush, and cook it over heated rocks, Native American style.)

Preparing for such excursions gives youngsters practical, real-world experiences: planning meals, budgeting, shopping, cooking, and, yes, cleaning up and making sure they leave nothing but footprints behind.
At Cool Camp, children develop an appreciation and respect for nature that will help them become the environmentally aware and committed citizens our planet needs more than ever.