Role of Adult Chaperones on Field-Study Programs

First, thank you for volunteering to be a chaperone. The Blackacre State Nature Preserve is a 205-year-old working farm and Kentucky’s first nature preserve. It is used by thousands of Jefferson County Public Schools students and teachers as a site to learn about the natural world and Kentucky’s rich cultural history. The number of visitors is one reason why your role of chaperone is so important. To help think about your role, here are four quotes that we use:

“Take nothing but photographs and leave nothing but footprints.”
—Sierra Club

“Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Walk softly.”
—Patty Smith

“As a society we are information rich and experience poor.”
—Joe Howard

Specifically, we request that you:

• maintain your group, learn the children’s names, and take periodic head counts.
• use positive language, let children be children, but make the safety of the children your main priority.
• encourage curiosity and investigation.
• participate actively, but don’t dominate.
• remind students not to be stone throwers.
• assist the teacher with whole-group activities like bus monitoring, lunch, and rest room duties.
• have the entire day’s schedule. If you have any questions, ask your teacher or the Blackacre naturalist.
• Recognize that Blackacre is a smoke-free environment—be a role model!