L.O.C.A.L. Adventures
Local, Outdoor, Creative, Aware Learning
Mission
Our mission is to inspire joy by teaching children to harness their breath, awaken their creative expression and connect to our natural world to enhance their physical, mental, and emotional health.
Vision
We envision an RVA where children reach into their inner toolkit to overcome challenges and live happy, balanced, and joyful lives. We believe sunlight, movement and creativity are key components to this present state of being.
Offerings
We will work with you to design curricula based on your school or organization's specific needs. We offer in-school and after school programs, as well as summer camps. Read on to learn more about our core offerings.
trauma-informed Yoga & mindfulness for kids
L.O.C.A.L. Adventures offers yoga, mindfulness and movement for all ages. We teach students to access their mindfulness superpowers through engaging games and exercises. We instill the importance of stillness and how to harness the power of breath when situations get tough.
Our curriculum has proven to work in countless classrooms in Denver and Richmond. Students learn to address the whole body, diving into the physical, mental, emotional, energetic and joy center layers we all have as complex beings. Students are then be able to carry the practices they learn on their mats with them into the real world, developing a deeper awareness of how internal factors affect their external world and vice versa.
Program goals:
Students will build an inner toolkit complete with breath awareness, stress-management skills and mindfulness techniques that will enhance their overall wellbeing.
Students will learn how to regulate their own nervous system by slowing down and engaging in restorative, restful practices.
Students will develop motor skills and become skillful movers who value a physically active, healthy lifestyle.
Students will develop a deeper understanding of how to manage difficult emotions, allowing them to build resiliency and live happier, more balanced lives.
Students will strengthen communication skills, being able to identify healthy verbal, nonverbal written and visual communication.
Students will be able to apply decision-making skills that promote and sustain personal, family and community health and wellness.
Students will develop a strong foundation to become capable, responsible and self-reliant citizens in adulthood.
Students will have fun!
Outdoor education for kids
In this wilderness immersion course, students develop a deep appreciation and awareness for our beautiful city of Richmond, including the James River and its surrounding park systems. We study maps, visit local parks, take mindful walks, play with paint in nature, investigate water sources and learn about the history of the James. We educate students about local plants, trees and wildlife, and teach about the importance of climate change and renewable energy sources, especially in relation to current events. Students learn about ‘Leave No Trace Policy’ and ways they can do their part to reduce, reuse and recycle.
We start with basic mindfulness techniques and slowly expand outward to instill a larger awareness for how our actions impact our surrounding community and environment. Students learn to “zoom out” of their own school/home bubble and make decisions for the greater good of our planet. Classes start out in the backyard of your school or neighborhood and then build up to field trips in various areas of Richmond’s expansive park system. Our partnerships with VA State Parks and Waterfront RVA provide us unique access to the James River and its surrounding park systems, as well as the best kayak and paddleboard instruction in town!
Program goals:
Students will be able to locate areas of Richmond on a map and navigate the greater park system.
Students will learn basic environmental skills, wilderness medicine and river safety.
Students will gain knowledge of the James River, including its history and significance, as well as an awareness of river levels and important safety precautions for floods.
Students will learn how to use gear correctly and safely, including how to pack a backpack, use a first aid kit, wear a PFD, and operate water crafts and paddles.
Students will be able to describe ways to prevent weather or climate related physical environmental conditions such as sunburn, dehydration, heatstroke, heat exhaustion and hypothermia.
Students will enhance decision-making skills and build healthy habits and hobbies, especially in the outdoor arena.
Students will improve and sustain personal, family and community health, ultimately contributing to the greater health of our planet.
Students will discover how to access new areas of Richmond and have fun while doing so!
mindful media for kids
This course addresses the importance of media and internet awareness. Designed specifically for middle and high school students, we educate students on how to develop a responsible relationship with social media and the internet. Through media projects, creative storytelling and photography lessons, students learn to be the master of their own story in a digital age. We review various types of media, including television, advertising, print and digital, and discuss the impact our media makes on today’s society.
Students learn how to effectively and positively communicate through various forms of media. We review the 100 most influential photos of all time, practice mindful scrolls on our devices, craft using paper, scissors and glue, learn how a basic camera works, study logos and branding and eventually create our own media projects. Students explore the activities and topics that bring them joy, and then develop a media project around this topic. Using photos, words and graphics, students will learn how to harness their own creativity and examine the content they are putting out into the world.
Program goals:
Students will strengthen their relationship with technology, understanding its benefits and its downfalls.
Students will be able to identify “fake news” and “click bait.”
Students will learn how to communicate positively through media outlets.
Students will learn mindfulness skills to develop an awareness of screen time.
Students will study storytelling and learn basic photography, videography and editing skills.
Students will creatively express themselves through media.
Students will have fun!
yoga and mindfulness for educators
As educators ourselves, we understand the importance of rest, relaxation and self-care. We offer yoga and mindfulness workshops for educators all over Richmond. Bring your staff in for an hour or a half day of restorative yoga, mindfulness and stress-management techniques.
Based on the curriculum we teach to students, we will cover the five layers, or sheaths, illustrated in yogic tradition: our physical, mental, emotional and energetic bodies, as well as our joy center. We will start with a guided meditation, move into juicy stretching and bodywork, and then discuss routines and rituals we can cultivate to enhance our connection to the present moment and the self.
Come relax, restore and rejuvenate with us!
