Big Lake Youth Camp hosted 47 sixth-grade students from three Oregon Conference schools for Outdoor School. They arrived at the mountainside summer camp to find fresh snow awaiting them!
Students spent much of the week outdoors, studying subjects such as trees, earth, water and fire ecology. Sharon Cutz, Livingstone Adventist Academy teacher; Conan Lizzi, Portland Adventist Elementary School teacher; and Jennifer Youker, Tualatin Valley Academy teacher, joined Kim Cornette, Oregon Conference associate superintendent, in teaching four core classes.
Other activities included four-way kin-ball in the lodge, capture the flag, a salmon migration obstacle course, an astronomy unit and a field trip to nearby Scout Lake for the legendary “life and death in the forest” game.
Outdoor School is not just about STEM education, though. It's about building leadership and communication skills in students as they interact with and get to know students from other schools. Perhaps most importantly, it's about developing a deeper relationship with God. Worship each day was led by Jose Galvez, Molalla, Silverton and Stayton district pastor, and centered around being bold — bold enough to stand up for what you believe and bold enough to take care of those around you.
Big Lake's hope is that students come away from Outdoor School with hands-on learning experiences in nature along with new friends, skills and a better understanding of who God is.
Surprise snow welcomes students to Outdoor School.
Students learn about fire ecology.
Oreos are used to teach the phases of the moon.
Raising and lowering the flag each day is a way of life at BLYC. Students are invited to help with the process.
Four-way kin-ball engages everyone in the evenings.
Early season snow greets the students as they arrive for Outdoor School.
Monday's snow gives way to mountain sunshine as the beautiful fall weather returns.
Students study water up close under a microscope.
Early season snow and fog make for magical-looking evenings during Outdoor School week.
