Welcome to Family Committee’s

1000 Hours Outside- TOGETHER Challenge!

Over the past several months, Family Committee leadership has been brainstorming and plotting to tailor this concept to our MVCS community, reaching out to local organizations and planning a calendar of events to get our families outside… TOGETHER!

During the 2023/24 school year, Family Committee will host outdoor hikes, bikes, paddles, swims, skis, snowshoes, clambers, etc. with the goal of spending 1000 hours outside- building community, and exploring this beautiful corner of the world that we live in.

So, MVCS families- get excited and join us at our kick-off at the Back-to-School Potluck Thursday, August 24!

how it works

Family Committee will keep a running tally of hours that families spend together at outdoor FC events. So, if 20 people attend a 2 hour Full Moon Hike, we earn 40 hours towards our 1000 hours. Only Family Committee sponsored events that occur OUTSIDE of school hours will count towards our tally.

We also encourage families to track their own hours- how many hours can your family log during the school year? Keep an eye out for pop-up events and weekend FB challenges! You can log your family hours HERE.

Each participating MVCS student will receive a leather MVCS keychain that they can keep on their backpacks. Students will earn charms for each “featured” event they attend and color-coded beads to represent their participation in “pop-up” events on their keychains. Featured events are listed by month (below) and are usually sponsored by or in partnership with outside organizations; pop-up events will occur throughout the school year, and will be announced in emails, newsletters, and on the MVCS Family FB page.

We plan to end our 1000 Hours Outside Together challenge with a MVCS Community Countdown Camp Out (location TBA) in May!

why we’re doing it

1) We LOVE the outdoors and where we live AND

2) We love bringing our MVCS families together

Last fall, at a Family Committee meeting, an Eaglet parent related how her family spent a year logging 1000 hours in the great outdoors (inspired by Michigan mom of five Jinny Yurich) to reconnect with the world around them. Immediately we thought, “how can WE do that?”

It can be hard to rally a whole family to get outside, especially during the school year, when schedules get more complicated. Life is busy. And let’s be honest, sometimes grown-ups need a little push too! We thought this challenge would be fun and also gives us a chance to expand our reach into the community- bringing families together and connecting them with local organizations that support a love we all share- NH’s great outdoors.

our sponsors

faq

I missed the kick-off event- can I still participate? How do I get a key chain?

Yes! Register via the link above and come to ANY scheduled event. A FC representative will have keychains available for all events- free for students and teachers ; $5 for siblings and other community members!

Do only MVCS students count towards the final tally??

No! This is about the MVCS community, so all family members’ or care givers’ hours count towards our goal.

Why do I have register?

We need to make sure that everyone understands the risks involved in participating in outdoor activities. It also gives us a way of contacting you in case of a time or date change due to weather or other factors.

I have a great idea for a pop-up event- who do I contact?

YES! We love pop-up events! Email Robin @ robincoleman2009@u.northwestern.edu so we can make it happen!

Do outside hours I spend alone with my family count towards the tally?

No, but you should keep your own tally just for fun and see how many hours you can log during the school year- a little friendly competition among MVCS families. FC will be highlighting students and families and their outdoor activities!

MVCS 1000 Hours in the Plymouth Record Enterprise