(CBS) Bruce Neill, a marine biologist, has been
leading daily adventures through the waters and across the beaches of Florida's
Sanibel Island for almost a year.
The Early Show visited with Bruce and his wife,
Evelyn, to learn more about the Sanibel Sea School (www.sanibelseaschool.org), a
school started by the couple to teach kids about marine life on Sanibel Island.
'What we wanted to do was create a place where
young kids could learn good information,' Bruce said.
Bruce has completely invested himself in the
school he is both a teacher and a bus driver. He noted that one of his favorite
parts of his school is that the curriculum is always changing.
'Everyday there is something new. Every time there
is this item you didn't expect . . . and we end up with a lot of discovery-led
education,' Bruce said.
Interacting with the outdoors is a daily occurance
for the Sanibel students. On a given day, students may find a mangrove crab or
an unusual snail. Evelyn notes that she loves the interactivity that the school
provides.
'The ability to take kids out and be hands-on is
magic,' Evelyn said.
The Sanibel Sea School, a non-profit organization,
doesn't just illuminate the mind. It engages all of the senses. Students will
taste leaves in a mangrove forest one day and test their ears by listening to
cars pass a bridge overhead on another day.
Evelyn also pointed out that the school gets young
kids out of their houses and into the outdoors, which she believes is important.
'We are sort of reintroducing kids to playing outside because if they love it,
they will learn more about it,' she said.
Although students learn a great deal about the
environment, Bruce and Evelyn still emphasize the importance of having fun. They
hope that the experiences the students have will remain with them long after
they leave the school.
Said Evelyn: 'I want them to go away touched and
visceral and having the best feeling they had in their life.'
© MMVII, CBS Interactive, Inc. All Rights
Reserved.
<< Previous
Page |
