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Heather Havre Focuses on the Addition of New Yurts to Support Outdoor Learning at Butler Campus in Chagrin Valley Times Article

Heather Havre, Director of Laurel at Butler, was featured in a recent Chagrin Valley Times article highlighting Laurel's focus on outdoor learning and the addition of several new yurts at the Butler Campus.

 “We had kindergarten through eighth grade heading out [to Butler] for a week or more at a time for these immersion experiences,” Heather explained. “Then the pandemic hit and we had to think about how we were going to spread out and have room for all of the students that we wanted on campus.” Heather goes on to explain that Third- through Fifth-Graders were the right fit for utilizing the yurts because their ages allow them to be more independent and capable for the outdoor classrooms for an extended period. 
 
“The framework that our teachers are using is called place-based learning. It's a framework for learning that promotes understanding of the world around us with a focus on student engagement and community." Heather went on to say that “It also corresponds perfectly to a recent initiative that we rolled out with Laurel's Center for Research on Girls about the ownership of learning,” she added. “It really coincides with girls understanding themselves as learners, taking responsibility for their own learning and developing the necessary relationships with teachers and peers to ensure that the class runs smoothly and everybody has what they need to learn effectively. So, having the yurts and having the opportunity to be outdoors just really enhanced all of those opportunities.” Click here to read the full story.
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