In part one, we looked at some of the courses taken out of our school and why it's important to find a supplementary program for our children. We learned there were many benefits to experiential education but focused on just 5-benefits:
Experiential outdoor education programs help in a great many ways, here are a few main points of impact this type of education will have on a student: 1. An environmental / ecological awareness. 2. Physical challenge and accomplishment positive for both the physical and emotional well-being. 3. Self-awareness / empowerment 4. Interpersonal relations, communication and leadership skills. 5. Socialization and community development.
Here, in part II, were going to develop the 5-benefits further and look to some at some specific case studies via anecdote.
The 5-Benefits :
Environment: Environment by itself heightens learning. To give you a physical example, think back to the last time you were in a new place, it was dark, and you shut the lights off: feel the hair stand up on the back of your head? What was that sound? First many children hardly leave their couches and so they first learn about the outside as a whole. Outside is exhilarating, enlivening and this energy creates adrenaline and focused anticipation. In the outdoor classroom children can touch and feel and engage the subject physically. Mother Nature is powerful & wild, children must remain aware so as to avoid accidents. Being outdoors, unfortunately, is an uncommon place for many kids.
Physical Challenges When a person is challenged, specifically in a physical challenge, their learning increases. When this challenge occurs in a new environment wherein the individual must measure risk, assess a scenario and calculate how much mental and physical effort is required of them to complete a task their whole being is involved in solving the puzzle. Children in adventure camps are often put in new and unusual situations, which require this very process. When they complete the challenge (as they most certainly do for this is the whole point of the camp and the challenges), an immense surge of hormones courses through the camper.
Self-Awareness / Empowerment The pleasure of course, is pride. The camper realizes achievement. A new awareness is borne, a new confidence blossoms. For a camp director and staff, this is the equivalent to the runners-high, this is why theyre there and why they encourage us to bring our children there. The camp is sowing the seeds of confidence, setting the tone that one can achieve their goals and attain new heights if they work positively and doggedly in pursuit. Now the camper realizes her or she can do something they previous thought impossible. Worse yet, never even dared to imagine.
The experiential camp will reinforce this learning, this experience for theyre specifically aware of and aiming to set the stage for this type of growth. Thus, in the days preparations, theyre setting the tone in talks and behavior and then after the days activity theyll discuss the day and again reinforce the lessons, the learning.
anecdote While the big adventure accomplishments like rope climbing or tramping or whitewater rafting are the glamorous stories, there are huge personal victories to be had even in the most benign settings. Enter the story of Fate, she was a 17-year old girl, homeschooled and away at adventure camp 600-miles from home, for the first time.
On their first night of camp, the campers ate in town. Fate was a vegetarian and didn't want to eat at the burger joint, so the director too her to a local market. After picking out her meal, she was told she could pick out her drink. Fate was awestruck with the responsibility, she'd never picked out her own drink. After much deliberation, she chose a Sprite and danced all the way through check out. Fate went on to enjoy camp thoroughly, coming two years in a row.
Empowerment, in fact experiential education results, are uniquely the individuals.
Interpersonal Relations / Communication / LeadershipClearly the person hanging from a rope, or reaching the pinnacle of a climb is in the center-stage position, theyre the star of the show; however, the counselors, guides and other campers are the supporting cast. In a camp geared toward improvement and personal growth, a camper is never out of class. The supporting cast is encouraging, either in group whoops and cheers as someone is pushing to do something new or theyre engaged in one on one moments of encouragement.
Often, in a ropes course, for example, only one person at a time is going to make the leap of faith and the others are watching, supporting and getting ready. Inevitably, someone is near the back, rocking back and forth, nervous. In these moment campers learn to lead, to coach, to support and to communicate with the group members. Theyll first learn by the counselors lead and some will do it naturally and ultimately all will follow.
A summer camp is an excellent environment to learn to communicate, to establish oneself in a new environment without preconceptions. All the campers arrive as new, everyone is on the same ground.
anecdoteMacey was a polite 15-year old boy with an air of confidence in the out of doors but not arrogance. He was relatively quiet, a bit reserved socially, but got along well with everyone in the summer camp. There was something going on with Macey but it only showed in the disconnect between his comfort and confidence he demonstrated in the adventures encountered and the reserve he showed elsewhere.
Over the days he became closer to the other campers, and he revealed what was bothering him, his mother recently died. Here at camp he was able, in the new environment, to open up and to begin the healing process. Camps are engineered for camper success. A tenor of teamwork and support established. While Macey was adept in the outdoors, confident in the challenges, he was grieving. Camp allowed him the safety to process and return to a place of mental health.
The environment allowed him to explore emotionally, safely, to process. By the end of the week, the smiles, talkativeness and energy were all in-sync and Macey left camp renewed.
Socialization / Community Development All camps are like little countries waiting to be populated. This begins and ends with each camp session. Its quite a fascinating phenomena.
As the campers arrive, bags in hand, they check out the others arriving. Some are talkative right from the start, others fall back and take a wait and see approach and then there are those somewhere between.
The directors and counselors are the established authority. They've established the mood of the new environment. The campers then must create the rest and they do so by finding their way, by interacting.
In this totally raw environment, theyre learning, by experience (experiential), how to form a community at large: leaders, rules, team members, socially expected behaviors. Ultimately, the camp concludes with close bonds between all campers, enthusiasm is high and the environment is supportive, loving and energizing.
anecdoteRhianna was from the city. She had a slight build, bleached blond hair and dark, Goth-like eyeliner hid her eyes. She kept her head down and hardly spoke.
At the first ice breaker group meeting, she was reserved or gave answers that were clearly defensive responses. Every response was used to keep people away.
By the end of camp, Rhi (as the campers called her) was one of the most vocal about loving everyone, she was the most adamant that this was the best summer ever, she was the first to call and enroll for camp the next season. She stayed in contact with everyone, including the camp director on the camps MySpace page.
Prior to arriving at camp she was bitten by a poisonous spider. She left camp one day to visit a doctor. She went to the doctor and even though it hurt to sit, she insisted on coming straight back to camp and finishing her time there.
These anecdotes are true and witnessed first hand. Camp is powerful. Choosing a camp wherein your child can have fun and you can know theyre getting something out of it, is completely possible. Dont down play the importance of these experiences. Each child mentioned here is better because of their summer outdoor experiential education experience.
Experiential outdoor education programs help in a great many ways, here are a few main points of impact this type of education will have on a student: 1. An environmental / ecological awareness. 2. Physical challenge and accomplishment positive for both the physical and emotional well-being. 3. Self-awareness / empowerment 4. Interpersonal relations, communication and leadership skills. 5. Socialization and community development.
Here, in part II, were going to develop the 5-benefits further and look to some at some specific case studies via anecdote.
The 5-Benefits :
Environment: Environment by itself heightens learning. To give you a physical example, think back to the last time you were in a new place, it was dark, and you shut the lights off: feel the hair stand up on the back of your head? What was that sound? First many children hardly leave their couches and so they first learn about the outside as a whole. Outside is exhilarating, enlivening and this energy creates adrenaline and focused anticipation. In the outdoor classroom children can touch and feel and engage the subject physically. Mother Nature is powerful & wild, children must remain aware so as to avoid accidents. Being outdoors, unfortunately, is an uncommon place for many kids.
Physical Challenges When a person is challenged, specifically in a physical challenge, their learning increases. When this challenge occurs in a new environment wherein the individual must measure risk, assess a scenario and calculate how much mental and physical effort is required of them to complete a task their whole being is involved in solving the puzzle. Children in adventure camps are often put in new and unusual situations, which require this very process. When they complete the challenge (as they most certainly do for this is the whole point of the camp and the challenges), an immense surge of hormones courses through the camper.
Self-Awareness / Empowerment The pleasure of course, is pride. The camper realizes achievement. A new awareness is borne, a new confidence blossoms. For a camp director and staff, this is the equivalent to the runners-high, this is why theyre there and why they encourage us to bring our children there. The camp is sowing the seeds of confidence, setting the tone that one can achieve their goals and attain new heights if they work positively and doggedly in pursuit. Now the camper realizes her or she can do something they previous thought impossible. Worse yet, never even dared to imagine.
The experiential camp will reinforce this learning, this experience for theyre specifically aware of and aiming to set the stage for this type of growth. Thus, in the days preparations, theyre setting the tone in talks and behavior and then after the days activity theyll discuss the day and again reinforce the lessons, the learning.
anecdote While the big adventure accomplishments like rope climbing or tramping or whitewater rafting are the glamorous stories, there are huge personal victories to be had even in the most benign settings. Enter the story of Fate, she was a 17-year old girl, homeschooled and away at adventure camp 600-miles from home, for the first time.
On their first night of camp, the campers ate in town. Fate was a vegetarian and didn't want to eat at the burger joint, so the director too her to a local market. After picking out her meal, she was told she could pick out her drink. Fate was awestruck with the responsibility, she'd never picked out her own drink. After much deliberation, she chose a Sprite and danced all the way through check out. Fate went on to enjoy camp thoroughly, coming two years in a row.
Empowerment, in fact experiential education results, are uniquely the individuals.
Interpersonal Relations / Communication / LeadershipClearly the person hanging from a rope, or reaching the pinnacle of a climb is in the center-stage position, theyre the star of the show; however, the counselors, guides and other campers are the supporting cast. In a camp geared toward improvement and personal growth, a camper is never out of class. The supporting cast is encouraging, either in group whoops and cheers as someone is pushing to do something new or theyre engaged in one on one moments of encouragement.
Often, in a ropes course, for example, only one person at a time is going to make the leap of faith and the others are watching, supporting and getting ready. Inevitably, someone is near the back, rocking back and forth, nervous. In these moment campers learn to lead, to coach, to support and to communicate with the group members. Theyll first learn by the counselors lead and some will do it naturally and ultimately all will follow.
A summer camp is an excellent environment to learn to communicate, to establish oneself in a new environment without preconceptions. All the campers arrive as new, everyone is on the same ground.
anecdoteMacey was a polite 15-year old boy with an air of confidence in the out of doors but not arrogance. He was relatively quiet, a bit reserved socially, but got along well with everyone in the summer camp. There was something going on with Macey but it only showed in the disconnect between his comfort and confidence he demonstrated in the adventures encountered and the reserve he showed elsewhere.
Over the days he became closer to the other campers, and he revealed what was bothering him, his mother recently died. Here at camp he was able, in the new environment, to open up and to begin the healing process. Camps are engineered for camper success. A tenor of teamwork and support established. While Macey was adept in the outdoors, confident in the challenges, he was grieving. Camp allowed him the safety to process and return to a place of mental health.
The environment allowed him to explore emotionally, safely, to process. By the end of the week, the smiles, talkativeness and energy were all in-sync and Macey left camp renewed.
Socialization / Community Development All camps are like little countries waiting to be populated. This begins and ends with each camp session. Its quite a fascinating phenomena.
As the campers arrive, bags in hand, they check out the others arriving. Some are talkative right from the start, others fall back and take a wait and see approach and then there are those somewhere between.
The directors and counselors are the established authority. They've established the mood of the new environment. The campers then must create the rest and they do so by finding their way, by interacting.
In this totally raw environment, theyre learning, by experience (experiential), how to form a community at large: leaders, rules, team members, socially expected behaviors. Ultimately, the camp concludes with close bonds between all campers, enthusiasm is high and the environment is supportive, loving and energizing.
anecdoteRhianna was from the city. She had a slight build, bleached blond hair and dark, Goth-like eyeliner hid her eyes. She kept her head down and hardly spoke.
At the first ice breaker group meeting, she was reserved or gave answers that were clearly defensive responses. Every response was used to keep people away.
By the end of camp, Rhi (as the campers called her) was one of the most vocal about loving everyone, she was the most adamant that this was the best summer ever, she was the first to call and enroll for camp the next season. She stayed in contact with everyone, including the camp director on the camps MySpace page.
Prior to arriving at camp she was bitten by a poisonous spider. She left camp one day to visit a doctor. She went to the doctor and even though it hurt to sit, she insisted on coming straight back to camp and finishing her time there.
These anecdotes are true and witnessed first hand. Camp is powerful. Choosing a camp wherein your child can have fun and you can know theyre getting something out of it, is completely possible. Dont down play the importance of these experiences. Each child mentioned here is better because of their summer outdoor experiential education experience.
About the Author:
Welcome to our 20th year Anniversary Celebration! Action Whitewater is taking 20% off each and every trip as their way of celebrating two decades of professionally run whitewater raft trips on the American River. Owned by Christopher Pyle, a guide of 24-years, AWA is geared and focused on providing you the best experience to be had on the river, from equipment to crew, we're all about you!
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