GRESHAM, Ore. — Angel Oliva Hernandez was feeling nervous on the bus to Camp Kuratli last spring. It was his first time going to Outdoor School and away from his family for a week.
His ear ached, a cough tickled his throat and homesickness crept in before the first night. Crawling into his sleeping bag, he covered his head with his jacket and tried to shut out the unfamiliar world around him.
But as the week went on, things began to change. With every hike, group activity and shared meal, Angel found himself smiling, talking with new friends and adapting to camp life.
"At Outdoor School, he builds relationships, discovers a sense of belonging and participates in a safe community where he learns and grows."
This journey is at the heart of Angel Outside: An Outdoor School Story, a 17-minute documentary produced by Oregon State University Extension Service and directed by Portland-based filmmaker Ime N. Etuk. The film, which premiered on March 1, follows sixth grader Angel’s first Outdoor School experience — capturing not only his personal transformation but also the larger story of a beloved Oregon tradition.
“Angel isn’t sure what to expect at Outdoor School,” said Benno Lyon, OSU Extension Outdoor School regional program manager and executive producer of the film. “He and his family are nervous about him going, but all are willing to challenge themselves and have Angel try a new experience. At Outdoor School, he builds relationships, discovers a sense of belonging and participates in a safe community where he learns and grows.”
A shared experience
For many Oregonians, Outdoor School is a rite of passage that crosses generations. Keila Gonzalez, a senior at Gresham High School and Angel’s high school leader, known as “Kirby,” at camp, knows this experience well.
She attended Gordon Russell Middle School just like Angel and went to the same Outdoor School camp. Six years earlier, she had felt the same homesickness that Angel experienced.
“I remember my high school leaders when I was a sixth grader — Little Spooky and Spam — they made me feel included and had a good time. So, I really wanted to try it out and see if I could do the same for others,” Gonzalez said.
What she remembers most from her own time at Outdoor School is the warm herbal tea her leaders served during a rainy hike.
“I was breaking rocks, collecting water by the stream, feeling animal pelts and before I knew it, it was already over,” she said. “It completely changed the way I feel about the outdoors … It definitely feels like a break from society.”
When Keila became a high school leader, she carried on that tradition, serving kids herbal tea when she taught classes about plants. Seeing Angel express interest in becoming a high school leader himself made her smile.
“I’m sure that when he does do it, he’s going to have a good time, and it might just make him love Outdoor School even more,” she said.
‘Outdoor School for All’
Despite its long history, Outdoor School is still unfamiliar to many immigrant and bilingual families. Araceli Farias, director of the multilingual learners program at Gresham-Barlow School District, understands this challenge firsthand. She said that in many Latino families, children go home and sleep at home every day until they become adults, so spending a few nights camping with people outside of their family is a totally foreign concept.
“Growing up in Mexico, we didn’t have experiences like Outdoor School,” Farias said. “Even as an educator, it was hard for me to let my own daughter go. But I want to make sure our students have every opportunity.”
She often helps students explain the program to their parents. That’s why she believes the documentary will make a difference.
“I was very pleased about the idea of the film because now more students are able to show it to their families before they go on Outdoor School and tell their parents, ‘See, this is what we’re going to do,’” she said.
“There’s this phrase ‘Outdoor School for All.’” Lyon added. “So, when some students or families are not sure about Outdoor School, then it becomes our job to do the best we can to communicate about what Outdoor School is, why it’s for everybody, and that people from all cultures and backgrounds are welcome.”
Behind the camera
For director Ime N. Etuk, the project was personal, as he was also a first-generation child from a Nigerian immigrant family who didn’t really know Outdoor School.
Before filming, Etuk spent time building trust with Angel’s family by spending time together, communicating in Spanish and having dinners together.
“I believe the first part of storytelling is listening and then starting to learn about them, and they learn about us,” he said. “So, you’re able to tell it in a way that respects their intent and honors who they are as people.”
Director of photography Ifanyi Bell said the film aimed to create a universal experience that all children could relate to. He also went to Camp Kuratli when he was a sixth grader and recalled the cabin he stayed in and recognized the songs that kids were singing during the filming process.
“We didn’t know what was going to happen before filming,” he said. “We just wanted to have people get the experience of following Angel around and see what it was like to be there.”
Since attending Outdoor School, Angel has found a new passion for nature. In the film, he said that if he were to return as a student leader, he would teach animal field science, and his name would be “Grasshopper.”
His father, Miguel Hernandez, has seen the change.
“Before, he didn’t like going out, but now he feels confident being part of those kinds of activities like Outdoor School,” Hernandez said in Spanish. “Sometimes he’s asking when there will be other activities like that.”
Angel’s parents hope that more Latino families will learn about and participate in the program.
“Unfortunately, many children often don’t want to go to school because it’s the same routine every day, so it’s important for them to have other options,” Rosa Oliva, Angel’s mother, said in Spanish. “Outdoor School is the kind of program where you can continue your education, and not only will you be learning, but you’ll also be having fun. That’s what I tell my son.”
Hernandez said that when other children ask Angel what it was like to have cameras following him and to spend a week away from home, his answer is simple:
“Don’t ask me, just go there and experience it yourself.”
