Ridiculously fun = ridiculous learning?

The last 3 days have seen The New York Times print this op-ed about an emerging movement to utilize play as a learning necessity to liberate schools.  Then there’s this article about the magic of the outdoors as a classroom.  And even marketing guru Seth Godin has tied the idea of the play-based learner as being crippled by our current school system.

What if we turn our perceptions upside down?  What if recess really is the most vital part of elementary school?  What if a summer full of play, teen adventures and camps, actually set kids up for success as much or more than traditional algebra lessons?

I’ve spent the last 15 years working with kids.  I’ve been in the classroom as a math teacher and in the field as a therapeutic wilderness instructor; I’ve been at YMCAs, treatment centers and passionately here at Educo and I can say without equivocation that kids need outdoor recreation.  It IS full of education.  It IS full of growth.  It DOES build self esteem and set kids up for a brighter future, and it’s nice to see it gain traction lately as a vital component of raising healthy kids.

These guys just may have been on to something…

It is the child in man that is the source of his uniqueness and creativeness, and play is the optimal milieu for the unfolding of his capacities and talents. -Eric Hoffer, American Author/Philosopher

I have a conviction that a few weeks spent in a well-organized summer camp may be of more value educationally than a whole year of formal school work.   - Charles Eliot, Harvard University President

 

Why we do it!

Working in the youth development field tends to entail long hours.   I’m not complaining, I truly love it, though I am questioned a bit about why I forego any semblance of a 40hour workweek for it.

Most of my answers are somewhat predictable (passionate about the field, enjoy working with kids, etc.) though no less heartfelt, but the one that has stuck out lately in my mind is all about the importance of getting kids unplugged, outside and accomplishing goals not connected to cyberspace.  This seemingly fundamental necessity of a healthy life is losing out to the luster of the LCD screens.  Don’t get me wrong, I love technology; my desk has multiple monitors and I geek out to all the latest gadgets, but when I come across this study that says kids are now spending more than 7½ hours staring at an electronic device, it makes me nervous.

The pride and confidence gained from scaling of a rock, ascending a peak or simply from spending your first night under the stars does not translate to a screen.  The interpersonal gains from face to face interactions, problem solving, and making new friends without clicking the “accept” button are critical skills.

Educo and I both have Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, Linkedin Profiles, you name it.  I too spend more time staring at a screen than I ought to, but when I think about the experiences in my life that formed me, that I recall with an uncontrollable grin, that I value more than any other…none involve a screen, a phone or a keyboard.

Now more than ever, outdoor experiences have extraordinary value for young people and I am honored to be a part of an organization that facilitates that.  Whether through Educo or other venues, I hope you assist the youth in your life to unplug this summer and experience adventure.  That said, Educo loves your support too!  You can help us spread the word by forwarding this email, sending folks direct to our website, donating to our campership fund to help families afford a program or of course signing up the kids in your life!

Take care and as always, feel free to drop me a line about anything!

Sincerely,

Brian Sense – Director

brian@educoadventures.org

970-494-0785

 

Educo in 2010!

Hi everybody!

“I have a conviction that a few weeks spent in a well-organized summer camp may be of more value educationally than a whole year of formal school work.” Charles Eliot, Harvard University President

I’ve always liked this quote and figure it’s a great way to come out of the communication hibernation we’ve been in this fall.  The value and growth that occurs when a group of young people come together and are empowered is extraordinary and I believe Educo does even more than the summer camps Charles Eliot was referring too.   Educo is not just your ordinary summer camp; Educo is a leadership development program with intentional curriculum and built in opportunities for kids to own their own experience and practice new roles with a safety net.

It’s ridiculously fun on the surface and life changing growth at the core.

This summer’s brochures will go out in the mail later this week, but you can visit the web right now to check out the dates and register!  In the meantime, I hope your families are doing well, and always welcome hearing from you.

Brian

 

Renaissance Magnet School – Laura’s 4th grade

I’m sure it would come as no big surprise that 4th graders have the ability to speak and communicate in their own unique language. While we haven’t been able to fully translate that language as of yet, during Laura’s class trip up the mountains we’ve been able to at least nail down the pattern. It goes something like this:
[Insert name] + [laughing] + [pointing] + [giggle] + [unintelligible words that make sense to the other kids] + [ more giggle] + [visible excitement] ?
All in all, it means they are having some fun up there.
The class broke up into two groups, the Eels and the Porcupines and the report coming back about the kids learning to belay is that they are the best yet. The really picked it up well and are taking the responsibility and process really seriously today as they went climbing. The weather has been pretty good up there and they are setting up some “bomber tarps and tents”.
Tomorrow is the big Slade Challenge where the two groups come together as a class and have a chance to work together and show off the skills they’ve been learning the last few days! This is the last outdoor ed trip we have from Renaissance and we’ve loved it, what a great school and great staff!
We’ll get some pictures up on the flickr site link to the right in the next couple of days…

 

Renaissance Magnet School – Mary’s 4th grade

This is definitely a high energy, action focused group of curious and inquisitive kids and they are making the most of their time to get out and explore the camp and all the hidden treasures it has to offer.  They are learning how to belay, getting entranced by fungus and plants and beatles and taking the initiative to not just see ‘em, but look them up in our reference books to learn even more about them.

They’ve managed to stay dry and it’s been warm up there, and the smoke from the California fires has been drifting in overhead and is making the sky a bit hazy, but overall the weather couldn’t be better!

The class divided up in two patrols and once again the tradition of a group calling themselves the Wolves patrol is alive and they are howling everywhere we go.  The satellite phone cut out a little bit, but I’m pretty sure the other patrol calls themselves the BeatleBots so you’ll have to ask them about the story behind that one when they get back in on Wednesday!

 

Renaissance Magnet School – Lauren’s Class -Photo Update

Let me first apologize for the delay on getting photos up for Lauren’s class.  We now have some of the pictures are up  but ran into some technical difficulties on the main camera.  Hopefully we will get those recovered soon and will keep you updated.

 

Renaissance Magnet School – Lauren’s Class

In addition to the incredible learning opportunities of challenges like camping out, cooking their own food and learning to live in the wild, Lauren’s class has braved a steady rain and have stayed remarkably dry thanks to some impressive skills with the tarps and tents! It also hasn’t stopped them from a great day of climbing and hiking and exploring today!
One patrol has oddly adopted the name and chant of “OxiClean” while the other one has continued the tradition started last week by Bill’s class and are heard howling as the roam the camp. Make sure and ask the kids about how to belay, what trees they saw and some of the knots and shelter setups.
Tomorrow, (after a celebratory Birthday breakfast) those skills will be put to the test with the great Slade Gang Challenge! The kids are excited to show off their skills and see how quickly they can work together to overcome even ore obstacles before heading home. Learn more about the Slade Gang Challenge here!
It’s been another great group from Renaissance Magnet School!

Also, pictures from Bill’s class are up and available for download for parents at our Flickr page.  Lauren’s class pictures will be up next week!

 

Renaissance Magnet School! Bill’s Class

The camp is bustling right now with the kids from Bill’s 5th grade class from Rennaissance Magnet School! It was an overcast day but the sky never fully opened up, only sprinkling occasionally throughout the day.
The class is broken up into the Wolf Crew and the Bear Crew and the kids are energetic, having fun and learning new skills. They have become experts on setting up tarps, tying knots like the truckers hitch and exploring the property.
The Wolf Crew is howling everywhere thy go as they explore, finding nooks, crannies and great rocks to sit on. The Bears have been busy painting faces with natural paints and markings found in the great outdoors.
Both crews are laughing around the fire and cooking up some S’mores right now preparing for the big day of climbing, rappelling and hiking down to Elkhorn Creek.

 

Big Sky Pictures

Yes, the long awaited photos from our Big Sky Backpacking trip are uploading now over on the flickr site! The backcountry nature of this trip prevented us from posting pictures mid-trip, but there are some great one in the set, so we hope it makes up for the wait! We wanted to get them up as soon as possible for you, so some of them are sideways but we will rotate those later…Enjoy, and thanks for sharing your family with the Educo family!

 

Educo in the News

Colorado’s 9News did a story on Educo! Click here to be taken to their video page!