«Nature is the best school of life»
Mrs Bienz, what does the IF Plus project want?
Strengthening children in important self and social skills such as emotional control, perseverance, self-confidence, frustration tolerance and the ability to deal with conflict and work in a team. Special needs teacher Monika Pfyl and I launched the project eight years ago and implemented it with the Wolhusen school. IF Plus integrates the structures of a timeout, i.e. a productive break from lessons, into the school. Children who take part in the project spend one morning a week with us in nature. Some for three months, others for years.
Who is the target group?
In principle, IF Plus is open to all children who want to work on the issues I described earlier. Whether they are conspicuous, gifted, shy or insecure: All children find answers to their challenges in nature. It is the best school of life for many issues.
Some children have to overcome fears because they have never hiked on footpaths or crossed a stream before.
How does a morning like this work?
We decide together where to go, then we walk into the forest. Usually, some of us go shopping while the others prepare the fire. Planning for the group, running errands, looking for and splitting wood, making a fire and cooking: All of this promotes self-efficacy, the feeling of making a difference.
Children in particular, who experience little affirmation in a school context, realise in nature that they can do something. Apart from cooking together, there is no programme. At first, many find it difficult to cope with this freedom, just like the walk or the vagaries of the weather. Some children have to overcome fears because they have never hiked on footpaths or crossed a stream before. Some find it difficult to stand up for themselves, while others learn that they sometimes have to take a step back in order to reach their destination.
Even when it is difficult to work together, our message to the children remains the same: we love them and place our trust in them. We now also advise and support schools that are interested in IF Plus. There are now more than 30 across Switzerland that have either visited us or implemented the concept themselves.
More information: www.ifplus.ch
