Outdoor Education and the Development of Civic

Recently commentators have mourned the "disappearance of civic America, " saying we are becoming a nation of civic couch potatoes (Tyack, 1997). Surveys suggest voters know little about what their legislators are doing (Harris, 1997). Other observers point out the importance of strong civic involvement for creating conditions--sometimes referred to as social capital--that support vital community life and thriving economies (Coleman, 1988; Putnam, 1993). This type of involvement includes participation in government, associations (for example, charitable, religious, athletic, environmental, or arts), and community and economic development. For students to grow into fully participating citizens, they need to find their place in this web of community life, and understand both the benefits and responsibilities of being part of it. This Digest suggests how outdoor education and experiential learning can develop such understandings in students, and set them on a path of strong participation and civic responsibility. OUTDOOR EDUCATION AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING Harvard educational psychologist Howard Gardner has found that scholastic knowledg