Let's make a New Year's Resolution: Get outside!

Hello Friends, 

We can't believe how much Aurora Lights has accomplished since this time last year. Last January and February we delivered water to communities in southern West Virginia during the water crisis. It wasn't until April that we started thinking about the real possibility of opening a school.

Now look at us! With your support in our first semester, we were able to teach all Morgantown Learning Academy (MLA) students about the benefits of learning in the outdoors and host three afterschool programs. Our Aurora Lights crew went from two people to eight people! We received two new grants that will help us teach our students about biodiversity and the importance of a healthy ecosystem. 

We have added two new afterschool programs for the spring semester: 

Mountain Mayflies (formerly Clean up the Creek!) 
Every other Thursday starting Feb. 5, 3:30p–5:30p
4th grade and up
Cost: $50-$60 per student
This group focuses on the next step in Mountain SOL’s philosophy: responsibility to community. Mayflies are stream insects whose presence indicates the good health of a stream. Our Mountain Mayflies are an activist group that learns about the effects of extractive industries on our public lands. Participants will experience hands-on learning in leadership and organizing. Students will also be learning forest and stream ecology. The Mayflies will spend most of their classes within the Coopers Rock State Forest but all classes will first meet at MLA unless otherwise noted. Participants will travel to southern WV for a field trip in May. Visit www.notinmyforests.org to learn about this project and the Mountain Mayflies.

Free-Range Fitness
6-week program on Tuesdays starting in March: specific dates TBA 
3:30p–5:30p
4th grade and up
Cost TBA
The concept is simple: move naturally in nature. This class will explore the foundational concepts of movement and fitness in their most natural environment, nature itself. Lifting, climbing, crawling, squatting, balancing, hanging, running, and jumping will all be included in ways that are uncommon in a typical fitness class. This will be a fun and playful environment meant to help cultivate a joyful relationship with nature by building competence in our own bodies to enjoy it fully.

Learn more about all of our afterschool programs on our website: www.mountainsol.org/programs

We are excited to start our spring afterschool programs and our two biodiversity projects. We will be leading more adult workshops in the future. Stay tuned for information about an upcoming Owl Prowl!  

As always, thank you for supporting us through our first semester. We couldn't have done it without your continued support and encouragement.
 

See you in the woods! 

Hannah Spencer
President, Aurora Lights