Spruce Lake: An Outdoor Education
Every year for about 25 years, students at Mustard Seed have been leaving the noise and busyness of the city and spending a few days in the woods at Spruce Lake. In the beginning it was about exposing children to nature and for many in the early years this was their first and only opportunity to do so. Outside the concrete walls of the classroom, students were able to witness the beauty of God's creation and with the help of the wonderful staff at Spruce Lake, engage in activities that helped them grow as a community.
Fast forward to the present and the more things change, the more they stay the same. After 25 years of going to Spruce Lake, the lessons learned there are still as valuable as in the early days. Yes, many more students are used to going out into the woods but the constant exposure to technology students face today have made them even more sheltered then their previous counterparts. The short time we spend at Spruce Lake force the students (and chaperones) to disengage from the online world and appreciate the beauty of the world around us. The constant barrage of social media is replaced by the serenity of the mountains and the silence of the night time. They are removed from their comfort zones and placed in a situation that forces them to interact with their peers. The frantic pace of the cyberworld is left behind and in its place is the quite, still voice of God.
Spruce Lake is so much more than a field trip, it is an experience. I remember asking last year's graduating class what they remembered about their 8th grade year and everyone of them said Jacob's Ladder (its hard to explain what it is but in short, it is a challenge course that only the 8th graders are allowed to partake in). This singular experience had a lasting impact on them as individuals but even more so, it impacted them as a class. As they cheered each other on, you could feel their bonds of friendship strengthening and by the end, everyone understood what it meant to be part of a community. The sixth and seventh graders also go through their own transformative experience as well. Each grade is challenged to interact with their classmates to accomplish a goal and afterwards they are given time to reflect on what they have learned. These are lessons that are not easily ignored or forgotten. They learn how to listen to one another, they learn about respect, grace and perseverance. Life lessons.
After the three days at Spruce Lake, everyone is tired. The bus ride home is usually very quite with the majority of students napping. After three days, exhaustion has set in. Usually, I am sitting in the back of the bus and I have the opportunity to observe the students. The feeling of anxiety and worry that accompanied them just days earlier have mostly melted away (I say mostly because these are still Middle School students after all). The conversations that are happening are more heartfelt and the smiles and laughter genuine. And I am left with the same feeling every year: I love this trip.
Fast forward to the present and the more things change, the more they stay the same. After 25 years of going to Spruce Lake, the lessons learned there are still as valuable as in the early days. Yes, many more students are used to going out into the woods but the constant exposure to technology students face today have made them even more sheltered then their previous counterparts. The short time we spend at Spruce Lake force the students (and chaperones) to disengage from the online world and appreciate the beauty of the world around us. The constant barrage of social media is replaced by the serenity of the mountains and the silence of the night time. They are removed from their comfort zones and placed in a situation that forces them to interact with their peers. The frantic pace of the cyberworld is left behind and in its place is the quite, still voice of God.
Spruce Lake is so much more than a field trip, it is an experience. I remember asking last year's graduating class what they remembered about their 8th grade year and everyone of them said Jacob's Ladder (its hard to explain what it is but in short, it is a challenge course that only the 8th graders are allowed to partake in). This singular experience had a lasting impact on them as individuals but even more so, it impacted them as a class. As they cheered each other on, you could feel their bonds of friendship strengthening and by the end, everyone understood what it meant to be part of a community. The sixth and seventh graders also go through their own transformative experience as well. Each grade is challenged to interact with their classmates to accomplish a goal and afterwards they are given time to reflect on what they have learned. These are lessons that are not easily ignored or forgotten. They learn how to listen to one another, they learn about respect, grace and perseverance. Life lessons.
After the three days at Spruce Lake, everyone is tired. The bus ride home is usually very quite with the majority of students napping. After three days, exhaustion has set in. Usually, I am sitting in the back of the bus and I have the opportunity to observe the students. The feeling of anxiety and worry that accompanied them just days earlier have mostly melted away (I say mostly because these are still Middle School students after all). The conversations that are happening are more heartfelt and the smiles and laughter genuine. And I am left with the same feeling every year: I love this trip.