SNEC Outdoor School Welcomes Its Largest and Most Respectful Group Yet
On October 1, fifth- and sixth-grade students from Southern New England Conference (SNEC) elementary schools, along with one homeschool student, arrived at Camp Winnekeag for Outdoor School, ready for hands-on learning in a fun environment.
According to Brian Allison, SNEC associate education superintendent, the group of 102 students was the largest and most respectful group in the four years he has been operating SNEC Outdoor School. Thanks to funding from the Plus 1 initiative, this year’s program also welcomed special guests from Tennessee.
After Jonathan Picon, Bible teacher and chaplain at South Lancaster Academy, opened the day with worship, students were divided into groups and rotated among several activity stations.
Ben Roy, a well-known Adventist science educator and media producer, engaged students with a variety of interactive science experiments. His team member, Debra Shinn Rivera, brought rescued wild animals for students to handle, including a hedgehog, a snake, a turtle, and an opossum. Roy and Rivera operate Science Zone, a nonprofit organization based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, that presents science shows to schools and youth groups across North America. Roy’s program, Creation Is! Science, can be seen on the 3ABN Kids Network.
Students enjoyed canoeing on the lake with help from South Lancaster Academy middle school teacher Jonathan Bissell. With guidance from Luisa Cabana, a Warren School volunteer and tutor, students also created works of art on river rocks using specially designed paint pens.
The Pathfinder Lodge construction project provided another opportunity for students to experience real-world outdoor education. The construction supervisor led a 30-minute question-and-answer session, explaining how construction works and describing the current stage of the Pathfinder Lodge project. From a safe distance, students were also allowed to watch construction equipment in action.
“When the supervisor asked how many kids thought about doing construction [for a career], a dozen hands went up,” Allison said. “They were talking about what they’ve been dreaming about—everything from carpentry to running heavy equipment.”
The SNEC Education Department provides these real-world experiences to make learning fun, offer students a rejuvenating respite in nature, and give even fifth- and sixth-graders an opportunity to thoughtfully consider their futures. Yet SNEC educators remain focused on what they consider the most important concern for the future: the spiritual development of their students.
Why were this year’s students the most respectful group yet?
“We’ve tried to put Christ first,” Allison surmised. “We’re told in the Spirit of Prophecy that true education is redemptive, and our purpose for education is to restore in man the image of his Maker. That’s the culture we’re looking for kids to understand.”
Support Adventist Christian Education
To support programs like this and Seventh-day Adventist Christian education in the Southern New England Conference, please consider giving to the Plus 1 initiative. Click here for more information: Plus 1 Initiative information (PDF).
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