Throughout Oregon’s outdoor schools, high school students often serve as cabin leaders and assistant field instructors. While engaged in outdoor leadership at outdoor school, high school leaders also serve as a vital component to the fifth and sixth grade students’ outdoor school programs.
There are multiple avenues for high school involvement in outdoor schools across Oregon. Outdoor schools are place-based and rooted in their respective communities. Therefore, Oregon outdoor school programs have the agency to recruit, train and involve high school leaders in whatever ways work for their programs.
The OSU Extension Service Outdoor School Program is seeking ways to actively support, at a statewide level, the recruitment, training and evaluation of high school leaders for fifth and sixth grade outdoor school programs, while also providing a transformative learning opportunity for participating high school students.
Why involve high school leaders in outdoor school?
High school students benefit from the experience of leading and assisting at outdoor school — it is transformative for both the high school leaders and the fifth and sixth grade students with whom they interact.
"Having high school counselors involved in outdoor school greatly benefits the sixth grade students, but also has big impacts on the high school students who participate. The high school and elementary school students build trusting relationships with each other which help them to develop greater independence, confidence, problem solving skills and an overall ability to work together to achieve a common goal. Many of the students share that the experience of being a ODS Counselor1 has changed their lives for the better and given them skills they had not previously possessed. Several had memorable experiences when they were young at ODS and want to give that same opportunity to other students. Strong leaders are role models and our population of students need that desperately.”— Fifth/sixth grade teacher
Data show that high school leaders develop:
- Critical equity consciousness — awareness of equity/inequity in everyday actions and their willingness to engage in solutions.
- Essential skills/graduation requirements from the Oregon Department of Education — including listening/speaking, critical/analytical, personal management/teamwork, and civic/community engagement skills.
- Social and emotional learning — the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships and make responsible decisions. For high school leaders these are: leadership, collaboration and communication skills.
- Career and technical education skills provide students of all ages with the academic and technical skills, knowledge and training necessary to succeed in future careers and to become lifelong learners. For high school leaders, these are skills relating specifically to the fields of environmental and natural resources, and human sciences and education.
High school leaders serve as positive role models for fifth and sixth grade students, inspiring these students to become future high school leaders.
"High school leaders are instrumental to many outdoor school programs, with over half of all outdoor schools reporting that high school leaders have some level of responsibility at their outdoor school. High school leaders are who sixth graders most connect to at outdoor school, particularly those students who come from marginalized identities and backgrounds. We have many students from high poverty, and serve students from many different racial identities. To have high school leaders that look like them is very powerful, especially since outdoor school staff are predominantly white.” — Fifth/sixth grade teacher
“We would not be able to provide Outdoor School to our fifth and sixth grade students without High School Student Leaders.” — Program provider
"Outdoor school is a place where I feel like I can talk about racism and all of the injustice in the world. And where I don't get shut down like I do when I talk about it at school." — high school leader
After attending outdoor school, students have greater capacity for and engagement with academics and community. High school leaders benefit most of all.
Definitions
Meaning/self-identity: Individual purpose and identity as well as positive character traits. These may include a heightened sense of purpose, gratitude and optimism.
Self-efficacy: Individuals’ belief of their ability to use critical thinking to solve problems, make a difference in their community, address environmental issues and influence their environment.
Actions of cooperation/collaboration: Cooperation and collaboration actions.
21st century skills: Critical thinking and problem-solving, communications, collaboration, and creativity and innovation.
Actions of school (positive behaviors): Educational choices.
What factors must we consider as we develop and implement high school programs?
Recruitment
Attend to the gender gap: Male-identified high school leaders participate at lower numbers than their peers.
Address barriers to participation: District attendance policies, standardized testing schedules, participation in athletics, and program length are barriers identified to date.
Academic enrichment
Recognize, celebrate and discuss academic outcomes of high school leaders’ programming — provide academic credit, either high school or college.
Mentor high school students after the outdoor school experience. Data show that high school students build important relationships with staff that last for years beyond outdoor school.
Professional development and training
Provide professional development for the outdoor school staff who work with high school leaders.
Provide quality training and ongoing support for high school leaders. This includes communication skills for engaging in and supporting conversations about race, class, gender and ability.
Program mentorship network
New outdoor school programs interested in incorporating high school leaders benefit from a mentor/mentee relationship with other programs who use high school leaders.
For more information about the Mentor Program, please contact Outdoor School.
Source: Robert B. Powell, Marc J. Stern, Brandon Troy Frensley & DeWayne Moore (2019): Identifying and developing crosscutting environmental education outcomes for adolescents in the twenty-first century (EE21), Environmental Education Research, DOI: 10.1080/13504622.2019.1607259
