Jimmy Karlan, Emeritus Professor in Environmental Studies at Antioch University’s New England campus, designed and hosted The Bird’s-Eye View Challenge in Vermont, a hands-on, collaborative program that immersed pre-K–6 classrooms across all seven elementary schools in “the fascinating world of birds.” As the Windham Southeast Supervisory Union described it, the challenge invited students to explore avian life using tools that reveal “the hidden behaviors of our flying neighbors”—including Bird’s-Eye View nest boxes outfitted with solar-powered cameras that capture videos and send them back to classrooms.
Karlan emphasized the program’s real-world, team-based learning: students solved age-specific challenges together, building problem-solving skills while strengthening community within each school. “It fosters a strong sense of community, where every class’s success depends on the success of all the other participating classes at their school,” he said. In its latest run, the initiative engaged 21 teachers, 22 classes, and 362 students, who earned and installed 22 Bird’s-Eye View boxes. Students also took pride in the practical work—assembling birdhouses, choosing placement sites, and tracking early-bird visits (from chickadees and tufted titmice to the bluebirds spotted by sixth graders). The Bird’s-Eye View Challenge wrapped around December 15 and builds on Karlan’s broader suite of school-based nature programs, including the Wildlife Camera Challenge and the Very BIG tiny Challenge, with another new challenge slated to launch in January.
Read more about the challenge here.
