A Manual for a Volunteer Field Aide Program.

This guide presents a curriculum for a volunteer field aide program. The guide is based on a program that was conducted in New Hampshire that trained volunteers to assist teachers in outdoor environmental education ventures. It was found that the aides helped teachers to expand their existing programs by assisting in supervision, research and program development, and instruction. This guide provides a framework for other teacher groups wishing to develop an aide program. The volunteer aide program is based on 15 sessions of inter-disciplinary environmental education instruction. These activities and concepts in the 15 sessions are aimed at familiarizing the aide with ecological concepts, techniques for field work with children, and teaching approaches stressing inquiry and discovery. The 15 sessions, which cover such topics as the inquiry approach, classifying, field and forest communities, compass and mapping skills, and mathematics, are covered in the guide. Each session focuses on one topic and includes activities, suggestions, references, diagrams, and illustrations. Suggestions for organizing an aide program, sample registration forms, a bibliography and resources are also included. (TK)