Boarding School Students Summit Oregon Peak

By Hugh C. McBride

Many metaphors have been used to describe the transition from troubled teen to healthy young adult. Some of the more common ones compare the effort to make real and lasting changes in one's life with the focus, strength and stamina that are needed to complete a long journey, run a marathon or climb a mountain.

For four students at Mount Bachelor Academy, a private boarding school in central Oregon, the mountaineering metaphor is particularly appropriate.

A Memorable Accomplishment

On July 27 -- a date when most members of their age group were easing their way through the lazy days of summer vacation -- Mount Bachelor Academy students Erik, Trevor, Dillon and Zack completed a physical and emotional challenge that few of their peers would ever consider undertaking.

In the company of Phase 1 mentor Corey May and two mountaineering guides, the four students summited Middle Sister, a 10,000-foot volcanic peak in the Oregon Cascades.

"This trip brought together four students with very different struggles who all share a common bond of loving the mountains and the beauty that is to be found," May wrote in a newsletter that summarized the planning, execution and aftermath of the adventure. "Feeling so small as they took in the surroundings, standing on top and watching the sunrise over the horizon allowed this group to feel powerful, humble and at peace."

A Great Group

The seeds of the adventure, May said, were planted in the autumn of 2008, when one of the students (Erik) implored May to devise an "epic trip" that would allow a select group of students to complete a unique challenge and achieve a memorable accomplishment.

As the seasons changed and a new year dawned, May began to plan what ended up being the first attempted summit of Middle Sister by Mount Bachelor Academy students.

"I asked Erik [to join the group], and I filled out the rest of the team with young men I had seen exhibit a variety of leadership styles throughout the year," May said. The result, he continued, was a dynamic group that was capable of working together in pursuit of an inspirational goal.

"This group rocked!" he said.

Adventures in Education

For the majority of U.S. high school students, mountain peaks are something to be seen in a geography book or perhaps written about in a biology paper. But as the Middle Sister adventure indicates, Mount Bachelor Academy provides students with educational, therapeutic and horizon-broadening opportunities that greatly exceed the offerings available at many traditional high schools.

Although the mountain-climbing trip was extracurricular in nature, it was consistent with the academy's emphasis on active learning, hands-on educational pursuits and innovative instructional techniques -- all of which are used to help students overcome their academic hesitance and rekindle their love of learning.

For example, biology classes may venture into the woods surrounding the Mount Bachelor campus to collect samples for study, and English lessons are enhanced by field trips to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, where students view plays, meet actors and participate in drama-related workshops.

The Shakespeare experience led to the development of a series of "adventure classrooms," two-week sessions that give students decidedly immersive educational experiences.

In addition to intensive art, music and recreational activities, previous adventure classrooms have featured backpacking excursions in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains, an American Canoe Association white water rafting course, visits to the Oregon State University Hatfield Marine Science Center and participation in mock wilderness search and rescue operations.

“The value of our adventure classrooms is that these opportunities immediately engage our students,” said Glenn Austin, Mount Bachelor Academy’s academic director. “Rather than read the chapter and do the test, they experience the chapter. They learn by doing.”

The Lessons of the Mountain

In the case of the Middle Sister crew, the educational component of the trip was focused on safety and survival. The climbers learned how to pack ample food and necessary supplies, practiced using crampons and ice axes to climb safely and prevent falls, and adapted to the methodic physicality of life in an alpine environment.

"Above the tree line, life is slow and deliberate," May wrote. "Energy isn't wasted; it is needed for the climb."

The ability of the young climbers to conserve their energy, then expend it when necessary, was tested throughout the experience. The first day featured a hike of multiple miles -- all while lugging fully loaded packs -- along a trail that rose 2,500 feet. The final push from camp began at the "are you kidding me?" hour of 2 a.m., and culminated with an hour-long, 1,000-foot climb over unforgiving, rock-strewn terrain.

Reaching the Summit

The result of all this effort? May described the scene shortly after the group's sunrise arrival atop the Middle Sister:

If you have stood on a mountain top as the sun breaks the horizon, then you know that it is hard to put into words. It is simply breathtaking. Colors are faded, blend into one another, and the world seems dreamlike.

Standing on this mountaintop had another highlight -- the knowledge that this trip had allowed these young men to dream, to explore and to accomplish, all without the use of drugs or negative pressures.

After silently basking in the glorious reward of all their hard work, the young members of the Middle Sister climbing expedition then learned another of life's most important lessons -- even the most hard-earned successes are followed by continued calls to action.

Refreshed by their respite and energized both by the beauty of the morning and the satisfaction of a job well done, the Mount Bachelor students hoisted their packs once again and began the long trek back down the mountain, toward their next adventure and into their futures.

troubled teens - parenting troubled teens - programs and schools for troubled teens

Aspen Education Group is the industry leader in troubled teens, parenting troubled teens and programs and schools for troubled teens

Categories

All Articles

Boarding School Students Summit Oregon Peak

By Hugh C. McBride