I just started serving at NOS a month ago. When I noticed we had the American Camping
Association’s leadership conference in Palm Springs, California, I had no idea
what I was getting myself into. I have
never been to a conference before, never been to California, and never heard of
the American Camping Association (ACA).
After the conference I realized that I was very lucky that I was able to
come to northern Nevada and serve at Nevada Outdoor School.
The first stop we
made on the drive down to Palm Springs for the conference was to Yosemite
National Park. Having an interest in the
environment and environmental education, my expectations were very high, but the
experience surpassed these expectations in every possible way. There was a snowstorm the night before in the
park, so all the trees had this beautiful layer of fresh white powder. When we started hiking up the mist trail, the
snow was melting off all of the trees from the night before, making the hike up
the mountain that much more difficult.
Slippery rocks, icy trails, and a steep incline made this trail very
difficult to maneuver. This struggle is what made reaching the top that much
better. I wish I could truly explain to you what I experienced on this day, but
I don’t think anyone can put into that experience into words. I am not a poet, writer, painter,
photographer, but when I made it to the top of that trail, I felt that I was transported
inside some of the greatest paintings, poems, books, and photographs. For the first time in my young life I have
experienced something that had true beauty.
I will never be a good enough writer to describe what I was feeling in
Yosemite, but what I can say is that it was truly inspirational and it truly
freed my mind and my spirit.
NOS AmeriCorps member James Winkelman in Yosemite |
After that we
traveled to the Pacific Ocean and then went to Palm Springs for the conference.
Knowing
absolutely nothing about the American Camping Association before this
conference, I have to say that the week-long conference in Palm Springs truly
changed my view of how to educate young people. The lesson that really stuck out to me was the
message that we are not fully developing our students if we, as a society, only
expect to educate students in traditional schooling environments and not
outside of the classroom. There is a need to develop skills like
communication, teamwork, leadership, social intelligence, self-control,
optimism and curiosity. The need to develop these skills is so important today
in order to develop successful and happy adults. One way that these children can develop
these skills is through camp programs and outdoor education. Camps give children opportunities to deal
with managed, fun, challenging risks that require them to lean on each other, communicate
effectively, and advise each other in order to succeed with the task at hand.
What I will
remember most about the conference is meeting these influential people trying
to develop the younger generation in order for them to become better adjusted
and more ready to take on life as an adult.
It was amazing to see so many different adults coming together that
really cared about the kids and how they can help them. The first keynote speaker, Jim Cain, had
hundreds of adults, from camp directors and bestselling authors to camp
counselors and naturalists, doing different team building exercises, name
games, and dances in the ballroom. The
energy of the room showed me the devotion that these people have to their
craft, and the commitment that they have to serving the youth and helping them
grow to their full potential. The people
I meet, the ideas that they shared, the amount of growing programs and their
stories gave me inspiration to follow my passions in outdoor education.
by: James Winkelman