Center Business Plan - Executive Summary

 

Education Program Plan [1]

 

Overall Approaches of Education Program

In keeping with the programmatic goals of the National Audubon Society and incorporating strategies of the Environmental Education Council of Ohio as outlined in the “Best Practices for Environmental Education: Guidelines For Success”, the Center's education program will:

•  Be active through hands-on, interdisciplinary study of the natural world.

•  Have an outdoors component that will comprise a significant portion of participants' visits.

•  Emphasize participants developing a relationship with the natural world.

•  Help participants to connect with the outdoors through other human relationships such as family, friends, and center staff.

•  Teach participants in a balanced and unbiased manner by teaching them how to think, not what to think; but challenge them to act on their convictions.

•  Be based on factual and accurate information.

•  Be community-based and relevant, meeting needs and concerns addressed by educators as well as the local community at large.

•  Reach a diverse audience regardless of socio-economic status.

 

Target Markets

 

During the strategic planning process for the development of the Columbus Audubon Center, target markets were prioritized based on information gathered during the market analysis.   The target markets are:

 

Components of Preschool Programming

Preschool programming will serve participants who are 2-6 years old, that is, children that have not begun kindergarten.   The curricula will enhance children's learning in key subject areas, aligning with state standards, benchmarks and guidelines.   Programming should take place throughout the year, with day-care providers and youth organizations making up the bulk of programming during the weekdays, and families on weekends.   The length of programming should be a maximum of two hours at $5 per child and generally should be offered in the mornings.

We will strive for Instructor/Child ratios as defined by the Ohio Department of Education: 1:8 for children 24 months – 3 years; 1:12 for 3 – 6 year olds.   Group sizes will be defined by a maximum of two instructors per as established by the Ohio Department of Education “Rules for Preschool Programs, Chapter 3301-37” Revised 1991.

Volunteers will be a critical component to keep adult-to-child ratios high by aiding naturalist instructors in activities.   At least one staff member at the Center needs to be trained in early childhood education.

Components of Youth Organization Programming

The Center will serve as an education stop for existing year round programs and summer camps. Instructor to youth ratios will be 1:12 or less whenever possible. In general, these programs will require a minimum of 6 participants. The program times will be mostly on weekends during the school year and during the weekdays or weekends in the summer. Fees for these programs will vary, but for a formal 1 to 4 hour program, fees will generally be $8/child.

The following are examples of the diversity of Columbus youth organizations that would be likely markets for the Columbus Audubon Center and the framework of programs they involve:

 

Columbus Recreation & Parks - Recreation Centers provide a variety of services throughout Columbus through 28 neighborhood recreation centers. These centers offer athletic leagues and recreational activities for all ages, classes, after school programming, teen clubs and summer camps. After school programs and summer camps will be primary targets for Center programming. Fees will need to be minimal or free to allow complete participation.

Programs that the Audubon Center offers to these facilities will be valuable in the first years of the Center to promote nature education and the Center's programming. These could be integrated with visits to the Center from the Recreation Centers through their existing programs.

 

Girl Scouts – Seal of Ohio Council is one of the largest councils in Ohio covering 17 counties. It serves 22,000 girls and 7,000 adults. The Center will provide camping and outdoor skills programs, appropriate badge and “try-it” programs, and opportunities for cadet and senior girl scouts to volunteer or intern.   A minimum of 5 participants is required to schedule a formal program and a naturalist to scout ratio of 1:12 is needed. Self-guided programs with equipment that could be borrowed will also be available.

Programs aimed at enhancing environmental knowledge of volunteer leaders will be offered. Adult leaders will be more comfortable with their children in wilder settings if they have had some exposure and training in a comfortable setting near their homes.

This council maintains Elam Environmental Center at Camp Ken-Jockety about 15 miles west of downtown Columbus. Elam serves about 7,500 scouts each year and 2,000 school children for field trips, primarily in May. This site does host summer day camps. The Columbus Audubon Center will work with this Girl Scout camp to provide complementary programming and encourage Girl Scouts to take advantage of their site outside of town for overnight camping and added experiences.

Boy Scouts of America - The Simon Kenton Council has 20,000 boys in approximately 1,000 troops in 34 Ohio counties and 6 additional counties in Kentucky. In Columbus they serve about 12,000 boys in 600 troops.

They have four camps that they utilize for overnights and other programming. The closest of these is Camp Lazarus in Delaware County. The Columbus Audubon Center will work with the Council and these camps to develop complementary programming for troops that are not able to travel and for shorter programs that the Center can provide closer to home.

The Columbus Audubon Center will offer programs for badges on nature and outdoor skills. Community service opportunities for troops and Eagle Scouts will also be offered. Training programs for volunteer leaders will be implemented to enhance scout leader knowledge of the environment in which we live. Self-guided programs will be available with equipment rental.

Organized Church Groups will be offered programming for children and their families. Columbus has a Metropolitan Area Church Council with 1,300 member churches that can help to publicize programs.

Boys and Girls Club currently operates from 3:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Tuesday thru Friday and 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday. They typically have 75-150 children/day during the school year and 200 children in their summer day care program.

They will be offered programs for after school and summer day care. Opportunities for career/job training will also be offered.

YMCA of Central Ohio has 19 total facilities in the Columbus region. The Central YMCA is nearest to the Columbus Audubon Center site. Their sites include full facility branches, outdoor facilities, Educare Centers (full-day child care sites for infant, toddler and preschool children), and one Early Childhood Resource Network location.

Audubon Ohio has not yet determined what programming would be appropriate for YMCA of Central Ohio.   The YWCA is also a potential partner.  

Capital Kids is a Columbus City School District after school program. It is housed in numerous sites around the city, including schools and other partner organization facilities.   They will be offered programs for after school.

 

 

Components of School Programming

 

The developed curricula for school programs will be cross curricular.   The curricula will enhance student learning in key subject areas, aligning with state standards, benchmarks and guidelines.

The Center will incorporate cooperative learning in programming for social skills development.   Programs will run throughout the school year.   They will be offered Tuesday-Friday.   We will market programming to both public and private schools in nearby neighborhoods and greater Columbus.

We will strive for Instructor/Child ratios of 1:10 with a maximum of 1:15. It is possible that groups of 60 students would come at a time, necessitating 5 instructors, one of whom could be a volunteer.   These groups can be broken down into 5 groups of 12.   One group of 12 will be in each of the four classrooms, and the fifth group of 12 will be in the exhibit area accompanied by center volunteers.  

 

Components of Teacher Workshop Programming

 

We will offer workshops to train teachers in the presentation and use of nature-based education programs.   The curricula will enhance teacher learning in key subject areas, aligning with state standards, benchmarks and guidelines.

Teachers will be offered credit for participation.   Programs will be offered in conjunction with school in-service days where possible.   Instructor to participant ratios will be 1:30 for a formal program and 1:15 for programs that require more hands-on activities.   Fees will be a minimum of $30 per participant, more for programs that require more extensive materials.

Components of Family Programming

 

Families are a critical means to connect children to the outdoors.   Most adults who are avid conservationists can point to one or both parents or a grandparent as the key mentor that instilled a love for the outdoors in them.   Families are an important audience for connecting people to nature.   Thus, the Columbus Audubon Center will offer “whole family” education programs that involve a wide spectrum of ages and activities.   Time periods will usually be in the evenings and weekends to accommodate parents' schedules.

Individual programs that meet family needs will be developed.   Programs will run 60-90 minutes or be special events that provide a variety of opportunities over a day.   Fees will be developed based on ability to pay for lower-income families and higher costs for middle- to upper-income families. Family programming will serve as a strong community outreach tool.  

Components of Tourist Programming

Central Ohio visitors frequent nature related areas such as lakes/rivers, forests, city gardens, and natural environments.   About 6% who stayed overnight in Central Ohio in 2002 viewed wildlife and birds. While this is probably not a large audience for the Center, it warrants efforts with tourism and chamber organizations in town. Tourists are most likely to take part in special events or adult and family programs.   We will offer weekend programs similar to those offered near Dayton by the Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm.  

Components of Informal Visitation

 

The Columbus Audubon Center expects to receive walk-in visitors in addition to the formal program participants.   Hands-on educational exhibits and interpretive outdoor signage will allow for self-guided tours of the Center and grounds.   Bird checklists and bird identification guides will be available for use by all visitors.   Our library and observation deck will allow visitors to relax and enjoy the wildlife at their own pace.     

 

Annual Audience Goals

 

Our goal is to have sixteen thousand children and adults experience educational programs annually by the third year of operation, while we also meet the needs of several thousand drop-in and special event visitors.  

[1] The next three sections of this Plan are products of the work done by the Program, Site and Building Committees referred to in the “Background” section.