As part of Prospect Middle School's Caring Habit Adventure of the Month, seventeen students taught and learned how to "Take Care of Our Environment" at the Center for Creative Play (http://www.center4creativeplay.org/) in Pittsburgh, PA. The field trip was envisioned and implemented by Darlene Stewart, Health Teacher and Coordinator of the Caring Habits project at Prospect, after meeting Ingrid M. Kanics, OTR/L and Creative Play Environment Specialist, at the PSLA’s 2003 Diversity Day 2003. 
 
"I feel this was one of the absolute best field trips that I've ever planned and it was primarily due to our desire to implement the Caring Habits theme for the month in a way that truly made it an adventure," Mrs. Stewart said.  She added, "The students were engaged in so many of our academic standards.  I've never seen such a comprehensive approach to education in my 15 year career as an educator."  
 
The communication skills the students exhibited as they interacted with the adults and children was wonderful to witness. Because the students were apprehensive at first, they practiced their conversation and presentation skills through role-play. They then felt more comfortable entering the Center for Creative Play to introduce the water conservation information that they had prepared. 
 
Afterwards, the students each worked with family teams and experienced helping a younger person have fun while learning.  All of the students rose to the challenge.  
 
Later in the day, the Prospect students met Marijke Hecht, Executive Director of the Nine Mile Run Watershed Association, who explained about watersheds and indigenous versus invasive plants in our southwestern Pennsylvania region.  Marijka then gave the students another hands-on experience in environmental work.  Prospect students helped to beautify the Center for Creative Play by planting indigenous flowers in special pots along the front of the building.  The field trip ended with a hike along 9-Mile Run, during which Marijke taught students how water becomes polluted and what can be done to preserve clean water resources.
 
The Caring Habit of the Month Adventure is a unique behavior modification model that encourages students to improve academic work and make good behavior choices.  Each month of the school year, a different aspect of successful school performance is highlighted, and the school environment is filled with media messages and activities to instill that month’s "habit" into the minds and hearts of youth.  Currently serving nearly 11,000 students in 27 schools and 9 after-school settings, Caring Habits' successful outcomes have been evaluated by the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public Health.  Information and research data is available on the Caring Habits website, http://www.caringhabits.org/.

For more information on the Caring Habits program, visit the website or contact Elaine Parke at (724) 453-0447 or (866) 453-8090 (toll free).