Walkabout Education Foundation Poised to Save Award Winning Experiential Education Program
Katonah, NY (PRWEB) July 22, 2013 -- When concerned citizens learned that Walkabout, a 35 year old award winning experiential education program for college-bound seniors, was in danger of being terminated, they banded together and took action by forming the Walkabout Education Foundation (WEF), an independent, non-profit organization.
“Walkabout made me the person I am today. I can’t imagine what my life would be like without the Walkabout experience. We started the Walkabout Education Foundation to represent the thousands of individuals that understand the positive and transformative power of this program. Our mission is to ensure the Walkabout program continues to unlock the hidden potential of high school students for many years to come." - Ben Wild, a Walkabout alumnus and WEF Chairman
Since 1977, The Walkabout Program, a part of the Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES system, has helped high school seniors find direction and confidence by giving them the real life skills to pursue their passion through its unique and enormously successful approach to experiential education. Tragically, as a result of school district budget cuts, enrollment in Walkabout has fallen below the levels necessary to fund the visionary program. Unless the program receives financial support and awareness to drive districts back in to the program, it will be terminated and its 36 year legacy will end.
The group of alumni, parents, educators and other supporters that formed WEF have put together a clear plan to make sure the doors at The Walkabout Program open in September. They have been working closely with BOCES administration and participating districts to coordinate efforts.
To announce their progress, the newly formed WEF held a press conference on Thursday June 27th at Grand Prix New York, in Mt. Kisco, NY. After outlining the challenges at hand, they provided a roadmap to a bright future for The Walkabout Program. To start, WEF announced their fund raising goal of $250,000. This money will go towards achieving the WEF’s three main goals outlined in their mission statement:
1. Ensure the long-term sustainability of The Walkabout Program at PNW BOCES
2. Raise awareness and advocate Walkabout's experiential education model
3. Develop new experiential education programs and schools
In just the three weeks since the formation of WEF, they have secured pledges of over $100,000; a significant sum but still well short of the $250,000 needed to reach their goal. WEF is now accepting donations through their website: http://walkabout.org/donate.
Perhaps the most significant announcement made at the press conference was that WEF has reached an agreement with PNW BOCES to keep The Walkabout Program open for the 2013-2014 school year, contingent upon the financial support of the foundation. Over the next few months, WEF will be working to collect pledges and secure the additional funds necessary to keep Walkabout open in September.
Alumni and their parents attended the press conference in force to passionately express what the program meant to them and how they continue to use the skills they learned at Walkabout to be successful in their adult lives. A video feed of the press conference is available on WEF’s website at http://walkabout.org/press.
Wild released alumni survey results that clearly show the Walkabout Program gets results and makes an enormous difference in the lives of students. The numbers below speak for themselves:
• 96% of alumni surveyed responded that "Walkabout made me the person that I am today"
• 98% of alumni surveyed responded that “Walkabout changed my life”
• 66% of alumni surveyed responded that “Walkabout saved my life”
• 29%of alumni surveyed have obtained or are pursuing a masters degree
The final statistic is especially staggering considering that the national average of those with masters degrees is just 8%.
What drives these staggering survey results is a visionary, full-day, yearlong program where students earn academic credit through a blend of challenging, experiential learning “challenge areas” including: career internship, service learning, backpacking, and applied academics. Participants learn to be effective, mature, contributing adults who are passionate about their lives and communities.
The Walkabout Program has been has been named one of the top 40 experiential education programs in the United States by the National Institute of Education. It was also validated by the New York State Education Department as a “program that works.”
WEF is asking for referrals to other foundations capable of supporting its mission and for direct donations at http://walkabout.org/donate/.
Visit their media center at http://walkabout.org/press for stirring videos and photographs or contact Charles D. Wild for more information at donate(at)walkabout(dot)org (914) 552-5408.
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The Walkabout Education Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization whose mission is to advocate and expand challenge-oriented, experiential education programs. This time-tested approach to education provides students with a sense of self-confidence, community, life skills and core values at a critical and transformative time of life. We are a network of alumni, parents, educators and supporting foundations who believe that these programs empower individuals to dramatically improve themselves and the world around them.
Ken Conte, Rise Above Consulting, http://riseaboveconsulting.com/, 970-227-3588, [email protected]
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