General Information
The Teva Learning Center is a non-denominational educational
service for students who attend Jewish Day schools, Hebrew schools,
camps and community centers. Teva is sponsored by Shomrei Adamah
at Surprise Lake Camp, an agency of UJA-Federation of New York.
Goals: The residential program for
4th and 5th grade students integrates the study of ecology and
environmental education with Jewish concepts and values through
hands-on activities in a cooperative, non-competitive outdoor
setting. By using the forest as their classroom, Teva students
also develop a greater sense of responsibility, independence,
and self-esteem. They leave the program having forged intimate
connections with each other and the natural world and with a deeper
knowledge of how Judaism can inform our interactions with the
rest of creation.
Facilities: The Teva Learning Center
is hosted by several sites. Each
offers excellent hiking opportunities and outdoor recreational
space. All sites offer comfortable lodging and strictly kosher
vegetarian food.
Safety: All Teva staff members are
first-aid and CPR certified and carry first-aid kits at all times.
They also receive basic wilderness medical training. In addition,
a medical professional is on site and on duty all day. In case
of a medical emergency, there is a hospital less than 20 minutes
away from each site.
Staff: The resident Teva Learning Center
staff includes an Administrative and an Educational Director,
a Program Coordinator, a medical professional and a teaching staff
of qualified field group leaders and specialists. In addition,
schools bring adult teacher chaperones.
In addition to providing teachers with resources once they leave
Teva, we also offer a variety of classes
throughout the week. While the students are off hiking and
learning about our natural world, teachers can also spend the
week enhancing their knowledge of Judaism and the environment.
for more
detailed descriptions of the classes.
Additionally, the Teva staff is more than happy to work with
teachers on specific projects
are interested in or obstacles they may run into at their school.
In the past, we have worked with schools on implementing recycling
programs, building school gardens, and even slightly adjusting
some of the activities at Teva to better fit into the school's
curriculum. The Teva staff has a wealth of collective knowledge
on a wide range of environmental and Jewish topics, so please
feel free to speak with us.
|