(CHESTERTOWN, MD—October 15, 2020) Over five weeks in October, 125 6th graders from Kent County Middle School (KCMS) are meeting their classmates and teachers for the first time, in person, during programs at Echo Hill Outdoor School (EHOS).
The first few weeks of their middle school experience have all been online, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Blended from elementary schools all over the county, the students are surrounded by new faces, with new teachers, in a new school. It’s a challenging experience for most new middle schoolers made even harder by the isolation of digital learning.
In order to help these students meet new friends and connect IRL with their classmates and teachers, KCMS and EHOS partnered to create five special Friday experiences. Through engaging, socially-distanced outdoor activities, these newly-minted middle schoolers are getting off the screen and into the woods for some team building in nature’s classroom.
“It’s fun to connect the faces with the one-by-one square on the screen,” said Deborah Skinner, a 6th grade KCMS teacher. “Their true essence comes out when they’re out here. It’s awesome.”
In small groups of eight to ten, students are paired up with an EHOS staff naturalist and their classroom teacher for an afternoon that is decidedly low-tech and hands-on. Masks up, arms length apart, students hike the Howell Point trail and look for pawpaws, make DIY popcorn at the Native American site, pick herbs at the campus garden, and build survivor-style driftwood forts along the beach. Play, exploration and conversation is encouraged, and each activity is tailored to maximize teamwork and sense of group achievement.
“I want to work here when I’m older,” said Tucker, a sixth grade student with marlin and fishing rods on his mask. “I’m going to make shelters on the beach and catch my own fish!”
The KCMS students are the first to return to Echo Hill Outdoor School since the March lockdown started. “It’s amazing to have them back on campus,” said Ian Harrison, staff naturalist and captain at Echo Hill Outdoor School. “It’s perfect—these small groups, enjoying this beautiful campus. This is what we do best.”
Echo Hill Outdoor School was established in 1972 in Kent County, Maryland to provide outdoor education programs to students and teachers from throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Specializing in immersive, experiential programs, many of Echo Hill Outdoor School’s classes are currently offered as digital lessons and can be customized to the needs of classes, school groups, or microschools. For more information, or to arrange a program, visit ehos.org or call 410-348-5880.