Learning Leadership in the Outdoors

In a year full of unexpected detours, rethinking, and “firsts,” the Center will offer a fall semester of environmental education and outdoor skills instruction for the inaugural iteration of Wilderness Leadership School.

The Center’s natural setting is a perfect outdoor classroom; multiple distinct habitats enable a wide variety of STEAM activities and nature/ecology study.

Conceptualizing the program started when, over the summer months, hopes of students having a “normal” school year were dashed as the country experienced a brisk resurgence of the Covid-19 cases, including in places where schools tried re-opening for in-person instruction. Considering Governor Murphy’s decision to allow school districts to create remote and hybrid school day options for students as an opportunity for programmatic innovation, the PBC Program team put their heads together to create a new curriculum and unique outdoor learning experience for Fall 2020. 

Offered weekly for a full day’s worth of exploration and discovery, Wilderness Leadership School offers students ages 7-18 a chance to experience the Center’s Blairstown Campus as an outdoor classroom. After a full summer of practice with the Center’s Family Camp programs, PBC facilitators are ready to lead socially-distanced explorations of watersheds, forest ecology, or other environmental education topics each morning. After a balanced boxed lunch prepared in-house by Chef Bob, afternoon sessions will include outdoor competency and skill-building such as canoeing and kayaking, shelter- and fire-building, wilderness survival skills, orienteering, water safety, and adventure and climbing course instruction.

Last year’s Homeschool Program participants encourage one another on the ropes course.

“With the many different versions of what students’ school days will look like this fall, there was an opportunity to offer families a way to supplement to traditional instruction, while observing social distancing and providing an opportunity for safer peer-group interactions,” said Pam Gregory, President and CEO of the Center. “Our outdoor spaces have long been used for summer learning, so it seemed only natural they could be an asset at a time when gathering indoors is not advised.”

To learn more, to share this opportunity with students and families in your life, or to register, please visit the Wilderness Leadership School page.

Virtual Summer Bridge - A New Learning Adventure

Last month we shared the disappointing news that, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Princeton-Blairstown Center (PBC) would be unable to welcome groups of students to the Blairstown Campus for our award-winning Summer Bridge enrichment program this year. As most Compass Points readers know, the PBC Summer Bridge program is designed to ameliorate the insidious “summer learning loss” that particularly affects children in under-resourced communities. What made this announcement even more painful was the knowledge that many children from these communities were already experiencing an academic crisis caused by the hasty, but necessary implementation of online instruction and the broader economic and social distress caused by the pandemic. In fact, a recent study by the Brookings Institution reports that “these additional stressors suggest that the COVID-19 slump might have even more impact on children from under-resourced homes than the [typical] summer slump.” For these reasons (and many more), PBC is collaborating with two Summer Bridge partner organizations, Mercer Street Friends (MSF) and the Center for Child and Family Achievement (CCFA), to deliver an engaging blend of virtual STEAM, literacy, and social emotional learning programming to nearly fifty children throughout the month of July.

Students began the program developing a shared “Full Value Contract” that would govern interpersonal relationships in the virtual classroom space – the same way that we would help groups self-govern if they were physically present on Campus. Students then worked both alone and together to solve an array of STEAM and SEL challenges designed to foster critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and responsible decision-making, while strengthening their social awareness and building strong relationships with their facilitators, chaperones, and peers. Divided into small groups of fewer than ten students, each cohort was led by a trained PBC facilitator and adult chaperone from the partnering organization. This favorable “classroom” ratio enhanced personalized instruction and accountability, resulting in active student engagement during each two-hour synchronous learning session and additional hour of daily asynchronous programming.   

A screenshot of PBC Facilitator Makela reviewing the projects of students from CCFA during their Virtual Summer Bridge session.

During the program, participants contemplated scenarios such as being “lost at sea”, collaboratively prioritizing a list of life saving supplies to be loaded into their imaginary “lifeboat”. They designed and built boats using everyday household items and then developed a sales pitch to promote their model against the “competition.” They designed and played musical instruments built from found objects. They germinated and dissected seeds. They nurtured plant life for an indoor garden. They built and tested catapults, calculating the trajectories of objects launched (safely!) across their bedrooms. They made “Friendship Bracelets” and learned about indigenous American’s culture. They wrote poetry in several formats, including haiku. They dissected owl pellets, watched nature videos, and recorded their own insights in a nature journal. And perhaps most importantly, throughout the program students reflected on their progress and celebrated accomplishments. Our hope is that they also were reminded, discovered, or re-discovered that learning can be fun; working together trumps going it alone; and that there are people beyond the walls of their home who care about their well-being and success.

The feedback from our partner organizations has been uniformly positive. Wanda Webster Stansbury, Executive Director of CCFA remarked, “I want to take a moment to say thank you to everyone for an exceptional experience for all of the students who attended the Princeton-Blairstown virtual summer program. Today I enjoyed participating in sessions conducted by Makela, Handy and Tabs—you were all fantastic and the activities were fun and informative!”  Chelsea Jenkins, Program Manager for MSF, expressed her appreciation for the “original, creative, and engaging curriculum PBC developed for this virtual experience.” While all agree that nothing can truly replace a trip to PBC’s 264-acre outdoor classroom, our Trenton partners were grateful for the opportunity to work with our talented staff to provide meaningful programming that activated and challenged young minds and strengthened community bonds in these troubled times.

In designing and delivering the Virtual Summer Bridge program, the PBC staff lived the philosophy that guides our daily work with young people—growth occurs when we stretch beyond our comfort zone. While 2020 will undoubtedly be remembered for many things, our hope is that the students from CCFA and MSF will look back on this unusual summer and be inspired by PBC staff who put their own 21st Century skills to work to provide a fun and enriching experience. With the continued support of our generous donors, PBC remains committed to providing the very best in experiential and environmental programming—by any means necessary—until all can safely return to our beautiful campus in the woods.

Reimagining Summer Bridge Puts 21st Century Skills to the Test

Virtual Summer Bridge…it’s in the bag!

Some examples of items to be included in the “PBC in A Bag” totes - Snacks, Stem and art supplies, books, a Summer Bridge tee shirt, and more!

No, seriously – in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, Summer Bridge students will not be on Campus at PBC this year. But for those community partners willing to take a virtual learning journey with us, PBC will offer a Virtual Summer Bridge program throughout the summer via a mix of real-time and self-guided offerings, with all of the materials needed to complete planned activities (along with age-appropriate books, snacks, tee shirts, and other swag) delivered to participants in a PBC tote bag.

In conversation with our partner organizations, it was clear that hosting Sumer Bridge in this virtual format would require extra effort to ensure that students had a chance to truly remain engaged. It had to be expertly tailored to the needs of students who might already be struggling with, confused by, or just plain burnt out on distance learning. We continue to hear that it was a long, confusing, and often-bumpy experience for students, parents, and faculty as they navigated the challenges of teaching and learning in the unfamiliar world of virtual instruction required in the midst of a global pandemic.

With this in mind, the PBC Program Team did significant research and planning to develop the Virtual Summer Bridge curriculum that incorporates a variety of check-ins, challenges, creative outlets, brain breaks, and games. At the same time, the Program Team is preparing to spend time far outside of their own comfort zones by facilitating positive group dynamics and hands-on learning from many physical miles away.

21st Century Skills Illustration.

Courtesy of Battelle for Kids - p21.org

While it certainly isn’t the spring or summer that any of us had hoped for at the beginning of the year, it has repeatedly underscored that young people and adults all need to spend time developing and honing their 21st Century skills. Critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, technology literacy, and flexibility are some of the first things that come to mind when thinking about what we have all needed to manage the stressors and dynamic environment of the present – and future.

A Summer for the History Books

If you’ve been following PBC on social media, you likely know that for the first time since 1945, PBC will not be running a summer program at our Blairstown Campus.

PBC’s Great Lawn, normally teeming with students and chaperones, has been quieter than at any time in our collective memory due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

This decision to not have a summer season for the first time in 75 years is disappointing for all of us. Earlier this year, the Board of Directors voted to suspend programming from early March through the end of May in an effort to flatten the curve of the virus. Now, it is clear that it would be impossible for us to responsibly provide a safe environment this summer for students, chaperones, and staff while still offering the kind of transformative experiences that Blairstown is known for.

Young people who spend a summer week at Blairstown participating in our educational and adventure-based, experiential programming leave with skills and memories that last a lifetime. We remain committed to welcoming students and chaperones back to our campus as soon as we can safely do so. In the meantime, our staff, who have dedicated their professional lives to serving young people in the outdoors, is now producing content that can be delivered remotely, including several weeks of virtual Summer Bridge programming. While it is not the same as working at our beautiful and historic Blairstown site with young people from under-resourced communities, it still allows us to provide them with the social-emotional support they may so desperately need.

The porches and chairs at Egner Lodge are quiet and empty, awaiting the day when students can safely return.

Although COVID-19 may have caused us to cancel our regular on-site programming for much of 2020, it cannot cancel the incredibly strong community of current and former participants, current and former staff, and PBC donors. We all share a deep love and respect for this remarkable place that has taught us so much about ourselves, the natural world, and the crucial 21st century skills that have helped us be better citizens, family members, workers, and students.

We look forward to when we can once again welcome students and chaperones back to our Blairstown Campus for our regular programming. In the meantime, we are offering the opportunity for small family groups to join us for a physically-distanced week on Campus in one of our well-equipped cabins or lodges. Family Camp is available on a limited first-come, first-served basis. You can find more information here.

The Princeton-Blairstown Center has been here for more than 110 years because we have remained true to our mission. And we expect to be around for another century providing mission-driven programs to some of the most underserved young people in our communities.

PBC Reflects As Earth Day Turns 50!

“The environment is where we all meet; where all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share.” —Lady Bird Johnson 

In the 50 years since the first Earth Day was held in 1970, much in our world has changed. Yet, we still haven’t figured out how to replace clean water, clean air, and clean soil as foundations of healthy communities. Since our planet’s health is directly connected to the health of all living things, Princeton-Blairstown Center has long been committed to sharing care, education, and stewardship for our shared home. On this Earth Day – which is taking place as a natural phenomenon upends modern life as we know it – we chose to focus on the ways PBC continues to strive for positive planetary impacts. Here is a sampling of our current sustainability initiatives in our ongoing efforts to be better neighbors to all fellow Earthlings. 

Sustainable Agriculture/Garden Programming 
-Ron Franco, Sr. Program Manager  
In celebration of Earth Day 2020, I wanted to take a meandering stroll down a path of gratitude!  

Throughout my four-year tenure at the Princeton-Blairstown Center (PBC), I have seen our lovely garden grow from just a mere plot producing some veggies to a fully interactive “classroom!” Over the past several seasons, PBC Staff including Chef Bob, devoted Program Managers, and enthusiastic Facilitators have transformed a simple plot of land into an environmental hub of curiosity and learning!   

As a Program team, we have devoted time and energy to creating thoughtful and engaging garden activities and initiatives for our participants. During Summer Bridge 2019, the garden was quite lively, filled with nature knowledge shared through captivating STEM and Literacy lessons facilitated by our talented summer staff.  

roN fRANCO WORKS WITH a leader-in-training IN THE pbc gARDEN IN SUMMER 2018.

Students are encouraged to explore the natural environment of the garden through activities like Mystery of the Food Cycle, which investigates the path our food takes to get from farm to plate, or The Superhero Veg Head Symposium, which entices youth to use their imaginations, have fun, and build team while creating a Vegetable Super Hero!    

Last season, the PBC garden produced more than 375 pounds of nutritious, naturally-grown fruits and veggies that were harvested and brought to share in Egner Lodge Dining Hall. Students were able to eat the food they harvested, and it was a pleasure to provide a Garden-to-Participant-Plate experience to our students and staff. As a bonus, scraps from the dining hall are also composted. The compost is then used to enrich our garden soil, which helps to create as closed-loop a system as possible on our Campus. 

Currently, we have 100 spring transplants in the ground including broccoli, kale, Swiss chard, lettuce, cauliflower, and cabbage. We also recently donated 55 pounds of kitchen scraps (that otherwise would have gone directly to a landfill) to a local homesteader to feed his family chickens!  

This Earth Day, I am infinitely grateful for the opportunity to work with new and fellow staff, as well as new and returning students, to help foster a brave generation of Earth Stewards and Shepherds. 

Environmental Education 
Newly revised for 2020, PBC is excited to offer five curriculum-aligned programs for students featuring inquiry-based, hands-on science learning. Each program combines outdoor exploration with STEM- and SEL-reinforcing activities to help students engage more deeply with both science and the scientific method.

Three months of intensive work by our Program staff created a comprehensive curriculum guide for our facilitators, offering multiple learning extensions for older or younger students, indoor and outdoor expansion activities, as well as a meticulous list of applicable NY and NJ Science Standards to help teachers identify which programs will best suit their students’ learning journeys.

All program topics were selected with a sharp focus on the experiential, hands-on learning that PBC can provide. We are looking forward to sharing our Forest Ecology – Plants, Forest Ecology – Animals, Stream Science, Sustainable Living: Gardens and Soil, and Sustainable Living: Energy programs with students as soon as our Blairstown Campus is reopened! 

Renewable Energy 

WATER FLOWS OVER THE BASS lAKE DAM at pbc.

Solar: PBC’s solar panels were installed in 2007, and in 13 years have produced more than 100,500 kilowatt hours of energy and helped us avoid over 70,000 kilograms of CO2 emissions! There is even a real-time monitoring page that allows visitors to check in on the latest energy-generation statistics, and chart how productive the panels are on any given day.

Geothermal: The newest addition to PBC’s suite of sustainable energy initiatives, 4,900 linear feet of antifreeze-filled tubing was sunk to the bottom of Bass Lake during renovations to Danielson Lodge in 2019. Stored at depths below 10 feet, the liquid inside the tubing maintains a constant 50-degree, year-round temperature, which is then circulated to hyper-efficiently heat or cool the building. The most economical of all geothermal system designs, this setup burns zero fossil fuels for heat, and releases no pollutants!

Hydroelectricity: In 1984, with the help of the Princeton University alum Walt Hallagan ’79 and his dedicated group of hydro helpers, the Center added a hydropower generation system at the base of the Bass Lake Dam that generated between three and four kilowatts of power daily under optimal conditions. Recent multi-year reconstruction efforts on the dam necessitated changes to the design of the system and turbine. In 2020, PBC hopes to return the hydro generator to operational status once water flow patterns over the dam are fully restored.  

Virtual/Distance-Learning Resources 

At this unprecedented moment, with our Earth experiencing an extended pause from the action-packed hustle and bustle of modern human life, PBC is offering a wide range of virtual programming and online content to help you connect with nature and celebrate our shared planet. Join us on our Facebook page on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 3:30 pm to catch our latest virtual learning videos or Facebook Live features, which will continue to be offered as long as possible during our Covid-19 Campus closure. Our entire Program staff are working and learning together (while social distancing, no less!) to create these informative, fun, and engaging environmental education and social emotional learning lessons. We hope you will join us for the journey!

Vernal Pools and Springtime Symphonies

(Editors note: This post is adapted from a piece written by PBC Senior Program Manager Ron Franco, who regularly highlights natural and seasonal phenomena to enhance staff knowledge.)

With everything else going on at this moment in time, it might easily be overlooked that it is again the right time of year for us to listen to the sweet symphony of spring peepers and their merry band of amphibian friends! As Old Man Winter relents, our spritely amphibian neighbors gear up for a productive reproductive spring. Today’s topic, vernal pools, play an incredibly important role for local species such as the Spring Peeper, Wood Frog, Bull Frogs, Pickerel Frog, and many others.

Vernal pools, also called vernal ponds or ephemeral pools, are seasonal pools of water that provide a unique type of wetland habitat. They are typically small, shallow, ephemeral water bodies, and unlike a pond or a lake, they have no permanent inlet or outlet. To be considered a vernal pool, a depression must hold water for at least two consecutive months, typically between February and June. Pools are filled each spring by rain and snow melt, then dry up during the summer.

Why are vernal pools important?
Vernal pools serve as essential breeding habitat for certain species of wildlife, including salamanders and frogs (amphibians). Vernal pools lack breeding fish populations. The absence of fish is an essential characteristic of these ecosystems, as fish are highly predatory on amphibian eggs and larvae. In addition to being critical for amphibians, vernal pools provide habitat to many species of insects, reptiles, plants, and other wildlife. 

Over the course of evolution, several species of salamanders and frogs came to rely on these fish-free water bodies. Today, these species exhibit "hardwired" instincts and behaviors that are geared exclusively towards this kind of aquatic habitat.

Species that are dependent upon vernal pools are known as "obligate vernal pool breeders." In New Jersey there are seven species - two frogs and five salamanders - that fit this category. Another 14 of New Jersey's amphibians also use vernal pools for breeding, but unlike the 'obligate' species, these species can successfully reproduce in habitats that contain fish. These species are known as "facultative vernal pool breeders."

Wow! Vernal pools play such an amazing important ephemeral role in keeping our Northern New Jersey Woodland Eco-system healthy and happy! Keep an ear out for the amphibian choruses of spring evenings – when you hear frogs calling, you’ll know that a vernal pool is to thank!

Involve Me and I Learn

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” -Benjamin Franklin

The concept of project-based learning has been around for ages. In fact, project-based learning existed long before formal schooling became the norm across the globe. Before the emergence of Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences ever showed up in educational theory circles, The Project Method was being touted as a way to overcome “assembly line education” that some felt had overtaken American classrooms and curricula.

Regardless of its history or origins, project-based learning is one of the approaches used to include experiential education in the modern classroom, and is often cited as a way to solidify instructional concepts and help students develop 21st Century Skills alongside the designated core curriculum. Additionally, there seems to be evidence that, when best practices are applied, PBL can elevate student performance achievement in high-poverty communities.

At PBC, project-based learning has long been a central part of our Summer Bridge Program, to supplement and enhance students’ literacy and STEM instruction during the week they spend at our Blairstown Campus. In the past, our PBL challenges have covered a range of topics, from pollution and environmental justice quandaries, to discussions around current civic issues in participants’ communities.

This year, our Program team is working to create yet another iteration of PBL – service learning. A subset of project-based learning, service learning is “an approach to teaching and learning in which students use academic and civic knowledge and skills to address genuine community needs.”

According to the National Service Learning Clearinghouse, service-learning can benefit both students and communities by “building effective collaborative partnerships between schools or colleges and other institutions and organizations; meeting community needs through the service projects conducted; and providing engaging and productive opportunities for young people to work with others in their community.” Essentially, when implemented intentionally, it can truly be a win-win for students and the community organizations they serve.

Be sure to stay tuned for PBC’s service-learning adventures during Summer Bridge 2020!

Looking Backward, Looking Forward

January Blog: Looking Back, Looking Forward    

We have only just closed the chapter on 2019, and it feels as though 2020 is already picking up speed. The first few weeks of a new year are a time for both reflection and anticipation as we look at how much progress we have made as an organization in the past year, and how we might move from plans to action to accomplish the many goals identified for PBC in the coming year.

In 2019, we experienced several wonderful highlights. Professional achievement included earning an Association of Experiential Education accreditation for the first time, and re-accreditation by the American Camp Association. We also added three new Trustees to our Board who bring diverse strengths, talents, experience, and many other positive attributes to our organization.

This past summer, the rubber really hit the road as 450 students joined us over six action-packed weeks for our award-winning Summer Bridge Program. This six-week-long span included new literacy and STEM lessons based on summer learning loss prevention, in addition to outdoor and environmental education, and good old-fashioned outdoor fun. The participating students’ visits were facilitated through PBC’s new and ongoing partnerships with 13 wonderful community organizations that operate in Trenton, Camden, and Newark, NJ, the majority of whom plan to be back for Summer Bridge in 2020.

Working in the garden with the 2019 LIT cohort.

Concurrently, we were also working diligently to increase our sustainability practices and reduce our overall resource use and impact on our environment. To that end, a geothermal heating and cooling installation was completed as part of the Danielson Lodge renovation (more on that in a moment!); our composting program diverted 200+ pounds of food waste from our dining facility; more than 375 pounds of food were grown in the PBC garden and served in Egner Lodge; and our sustainability committee worked all year to identify and act on additional opportunities to increase sustainable behavior.

Construction continues on the Bass Lake Dam.

In facilities management, in addition to all of the regular maintenance and upkeep that a 264-acre wooded property with nearly 8,000 visitors a year and dozens of historic structures entails, our Facilities team installed a new storage shed for the PBC garden, and oversaw three major capital improvement projects: the repaving of our main driveway, the  extensive renovation of Danielson Lodge, and the ongoing reconstruction of the Bass Lake Dam. Jody and his team had quite a year!

While these are reason to celebrate as we enter the 112th year of PBC, it seems of equal import to think of the goals ahead. For 2020, we are looking to meet the following milestones:

A sneak preview of the Danielson Lodge renovations.

• Completion of the three-year Bass Lake Dam renovation;

• Completion of the Danielson Lodge renovation;

• Implementation of a new three-year Strategic Plan;

• A strong sixth year of our Summer Bridge Program, engaging both new and existing partner organizations;

• Expanded public programming, such as the Homeschool/Afterschool Adventure series;

• Executing two successful fundraising events to offset the costs of our free and reduced-price programs;

• Continuing work in all departments that positions PBC’s facilities and programs as paragon examples of outdoor, experiential, and environmental education. 

That’s our short list! What are you or your organization’s 2020 goals?

SEL for the School Year, and Beyond

As children return to school after the long summer break that is customary in the United States, they will return to classrooms with the hope that the skills and knowledge gained during their previous year of academic instruction remain intact. Yet, all children lose some academic skills over summertime, and each student will vary in the amount of learning lost. In the absence of high-quality and accessible summer enrichment experiences, skill loss is likely to be greater. However, there are many ways to help all children transition back to school more readily, including employing social-emotional learning instruction. 

What is SEL?
Much more than a hashtag, Social Emotional Learning (SEL) includes five core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. PBC’s experiential, environmental, and adventure-based programming is designed to help participants learn and grow in each of these areas through personal and team-based challenges and reflection. They experience nontraditional learning through activities on our high- and low-ropes courses and waterfront activities, which challenge students on their levels.

While ropes courses and an on-campus lake and stream are likely not available for the average classroom teacher, there are many exercises and activities that can be implemented easily and with few resources to help students develop the social emotional skills necessary for success in the classroom, and beyond.

Here is one suggestion that can be implemented with a wide age range, and with common school supplies.

Sample Lesson: Webbing Intro Wrap

Here’s a sample lesson you can use with your students at the start of new school year.

    Estimated Length: 15 minutes

    Number of Participants: Varies; Larger classes should be split into multiple groups so there are 10-15
    students per circle.

    Challenge Level: Beginner

Overview:
The purpose of this activity is for group members to get to know each other on a more personal basis.

Materials:
A piece of tubular webbing (or yarn/string) 15 to 20 inches in length.

Steps (Description of Activity):

Have your participants stand in a circle.

Role model for the group what is expected.

Do the following: Slowly wrap the piece of webbing around your hand while telling the group about yourself… hobbies, favorite foods, sisters, brothers, favorite place, where you are from, etc.

Going around the circle, have each student talk about themselves for the length of time it takes them to wrap the same section of material around their hand. (Tip: Smaller hands will take longer to wrap the same amount of string, so consider using a shorter length if working with younger children.)

Have each participant start by saying their name, and at least one fact about themselves, and then finish by saying their name again.

Once everyone has shared, ask if there is anyone who can go around the group and say everyone’s name. Try it yourself and applaud all efforts.

Suggested Processing Questions (3-5 for each Code)

• Communication:
  What helped you to learn and remember the person’s name?
  Why is it important to remember a person’s name when you first meet them?
  Have you ever had someone remember or forget your name? What was that like for you?

• Teambuilding:
  What is a team?
  Why is it important for members of a team to know each other’s name?
  Do you feel like you are starting to be a part of this team right now?

• Transference:
  When you are introduced or meet a person for the first time, what do you normally do?
  Why is it important to learn a person’s name?
  What does your name say about you?

• Anticipated Challenges (Safety, Physical, Emotional):
  Be aware that initially most group members will be sharing superficial info about themselves. As they gain trust in the group, members will share more detail as they feel comfortable. Remind the group that challenge by choice always applies because the number one goal is their safety, both physical and emotional.

Helpful Hints to get Started:
Point out to students that they have the choice to share as much or as little about themselves as they would like.  If a student is struggling, prompt them with an easy question, such as favorite food, dessert, or what meal they last ate.

Consider building this or other lessons into your classroom instruction to deepen trust and understanding between students, faculty, and staff, and to practice soft skills such as clear communication and cooperation.

More ideas and resources for leading SEL activities are available on our Resources page on the PBC website.

Best wishes to all teachers, students, and school staff for a safe, successful, and productive 2019-2020 school year!

This Bookclub is L.I.T.!

Summer reading. Two words that can mean joy and indulgence to some, and yet inspire dread or fear in others. When Princeton-Blairstown Center was looking to re-imagine its Leader-in-Training program, one goal was to weave in literacy in a deeper, more organic way, to help kids connect with both texts and with one another. But how?

Enter, the Leader-In-Training (LIT) book club. Whether used in a school setting or in one like PBC’s LIT program, a book club has the advantages of offering a student-centered and social way for students to share and engage around texts they’ve read. 

Other benefits of student book clubs are that they:

Considering that community and student reflection are two overarching goals of the LIT Program, the book club model is truly a perfect fit for our setting.  Once the decision was made to form a book club, we turned to other questions, such as:  

-          What would participants read? How would the book be selected?

-          Who would lead conversations around the text?

Eventually, Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give was selected for its popularity among students, literary appeal, and social commentary themes; And thanks to a generous book donation from one of our partners, we had enough copies available in the Peyton Library to get started.

The benefits of regular reading are much deeper than just enhanced comprehension, vocabulary, and language fluency, though.

“Broad and deep reading habits can sharpen intelligence, make you a better communicator, and improve emotional intelligence, among other benefits,” says John Coleman in this Harvard Business Review article. A separate article by Coleman is entitled: “For those who want to lead, read”. While that headline basically says it all; but the research and anecdotal evidence that backs up the lead is truly remarkable. Regular readers tend to be better communicators, and better writers, too. Avid readers also typically have a wider understanding of a variety of subjects, and often can better empathize and see things from others’ points of view.

All these skills are essential for effective and well-rounded leaders, and we are happy that the LIT book club (a construct that is perhaps older than printing itself!) is another tool available to us to build both stronger readers and stronger leaders.

ACEs and the Importance of Developing a Growth Mindset

During Princeton University Reunions last month, Princeton-Blairstown Center co-sponsored a panel with a number of other like-minded organizations affiliated with the University. This year's panel focused on the effects of toxic stress on the lives of children. For far too many of the young people that the Center serves, research shows that toxic stress coupled with environmental factors can have a significant impact on the educational attainment, physical and mental health, and socio-economic well-being of their current and future lives.  

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) include traumatic events and experiences like the divorce, loss, or incarceration of a parent; physical or emotional abuse or neglect; living with an adult who has an addiction or mental illness; being a victim of violence or witnessing violence in your household or neighborhood; and regularly experiencing economic hardship.

According to Child Trends, nearly 50% of young people in the US have experienced one or more ACEs and 10% have experienced three or more ACEs, putting them at high risk. Nationally, 61% of African American children and 51% of Hispanic children have experienced one or more ACEs as compared with 40% of white non-Hispanic children.

Despite these alarming statistics, research also tells us that many of these young people are incredibly resilient and can overcome the odds. Carol Dweck's research shows that a growth mindset -- a mindset that perceives a challenge as an opportunity to learn, rather than a setback to overcome -- results in persistence and resiliency.

The Center’s programs have been intentionally crafted to help young people develop a growth mindset through a focus on problem-solving challenges, while also developing social connectedness through team building. We also help young people develop confidence, self-esteem, and self-regulation skills (social-emotional skills), all of which Dweck's research found crucial to developing a growth mindset.

This summer, we will welcome 550-600 young people from Newark, Trenton, and Camden to our Blairstown Campus for our Summer Bridge and Leader-in-Training Programs where, in addition to participating in engaging, hands-on academic programming, they will develop the skills associated with resiliency so that they can overcome the ACEs they may have experienced. Their time at Blairstown can be transformative.  

Ready to Climb!

Most of us are familiar with the adage “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” While the origin of this statement is unclear, it is a fine example of the kind of impact even basic experiential education can offer.

The Association for Experiential Education (AEE), of which the Center is a member, defines experiential education as “challenge and experience followed by reflection leading to learning and growth.”  Every day at our Blairstown Campus, our facilitators work with students and their chaperones to provide intentionally designed opportunities for challenge and experience. Facilitators are trained to reflect on the experience afterwards and to help students relate what they learned through the activity to their daily life in the classroom and at home. During an early Girls’ Adventure and Leadership Weekend, Emily, a shy eighth grader, experienced this first-hand when she agreed to climb up the vertical playpen on the climbing tower. When the girls in Emily’s group headed off to the climbing tower to don their equipment and tackle the three-story structure, she dutifully strapped on the required harness and helmet.  And she watched. She watched girl after girl say, “ready to climb!” and make her way up the tower – those who were fearless went all the way to the top, and those who proclaimed themselves to be scared of heights, but climbed further than they thought possible. But, every time a facilitator asked Emily to climb, she said “no thanks.” Chyann was the facilitator with Emily’s group and was kind but persistent in asking. Each time Emily said no, Chyann asked, “are you sure?” and Emily would shrug her shoulders.

Finally, the last girl finished her climb and Chyann announced it was almost time to head back, with one last questioning look at Emily. She gave Chyann a slight nod and the whole group erupted with cheers as they realized their friend was going to climb! Along with a friend as a climbing partner, Emily got about half way up the tower. She turned around with a giant smile and look of accomplishment for her friends on the ground. Once back on the ground, Chyann talked with the group about the experience of climbing up the tower and how it related to their everyday lives. The girls who were originally afraid of heights talked about how having the harnesses and friends belaying on the ground made them feel less afraid to start to climb and how when they are at home, they can take a chance on something that might be a little scary if they have support around them. According to the article, Tapping the Hidden Team-Building Power of Ropes Courses, in addition to providing the opportunity to test physical skill, when well-facilitated, the ropes-course experience also provides other opportunities for growth, such as introspection, confidence building, self-awareness, and team building.

For Emily, throughout the rest of the weekend, she had a spring in her step and was much more vocal during group activities. She was already showing improved self-esteem that weekend by speaking up when one of her cabin mates pushed ahead of her in the line for dinner. Her chaperone reports that when she sees Emily holding back in group settings, she can offer a little nudge by asking, “Ready to climb?” and Emily smiles and steps up to speak her mind.

The Play Gap

Last week we played at work! We had a new team member join us and we decided to practice what we preach. We got one of our program team members to facilitate an hour of team building for our back office staff. First, and most importantly, we had a lot of FUN! We also learned a lot about each other in a pretty short period of time. Through play we LEARNED that we are competitive, enjoy solving problems, and notice different things. Through repetition of several of the exercises we learned to listen and observe each other, work in closer harmony, and celebrate the small wins. We learned that just like at work, we each have a part to play in the team’s success. We learned all this while having fun and being much more engaged in learning.

Play is the freedom and opportunity for young people to engage with and learn from the world around them.  In today's busy and often over-scheduled world, most young people have fewer opportunities to engage in real play and develop critical social-emotional skills.  Neuroscientists, psychologists, and business leaders all believe that young people will need to demonstrate strong communication, collaboration, creativity, and creative problem-solving skills to succeed in the jobs and world of tomorrow as we enter the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

In the United States, from 1981 to 1997, children's playtime decreased by 25%.  Play is much more structured today with adult-organized, time-limited play dates, many of which take place indoors.  Ninety-two percent of young people say they want more play time and 93% say play makes them feel happier. One in 10 young people play less than two hours a week and 8% of young people say they have no time to play. Outdoor play is even more scarce with 56% of young people having less than one hour of outdoor play a day, 20% having less than one hour of outdoor play a week, and 10% having no outdoor play.

In 2018, parents of 6-11-year-olds reported that they were playing with their children less than 5 minutes per day.  Eighty-one percent of young people wish their parents would play with them more while 83% say they learn better when it feels like play.

At the Princeton-Blairstown Center (PBC), we understand how important play and hands-on learning in the outdoors is for young people and we practice it with every group that comes to visit our campus in the woods.  Research shows that "deep learning and higher order skills development are enhanced by play that is joyful, builds on everyday meaning, is active and engaged, iterative, and social." PBC's problem-solving initiatives and challenge courses provide all the essential components described in the research and with the guidance of our highly trained facilitators results in learning that is transferred back to home and school.

Young people from low-income communities are less likely to have safe and sufficient green spaces to play in. Because of you our students have a safe 264-acre campus to play in where they can learn, grow, and lead in an ever-changing world. 

Students Learn From People They Love

A recent New York Times opinion piece by David Brooks entitled, Students Learn From People They Love, talks about the social emotional learning (SEL) movement’s acceptance as an important and valid educational methodology.

“The good news is the social and emotional learning movement has been steadily gaining strength. This week the Aspen Institute (where I lead a program) published a national commission report called “From a Nation at Risk to a Nation at Hope.” Social and emotional learning is not an add-on curriculum; one educator said at the report’s launch, “It’s the way we do school.” Some schools, for example, do no academic instruction the first week. To start, everybody just gets to know one another. Other schools replaced the cops at the door with security officers who could also serve as student coaches.”

The work that we do at the Princeton-Blairstown Center (PBC) around social-emotional learning is exactly what The Aspen Institute report says is at the heart of education. “The promotion of social, emotional, and academic learning is not a shifting educational fad; it is the substance of education itself. It is not a distraction from the “real work” of math and English instruction; it is how instruction can succeed.”

The reason so many independent and charter schools come to the Center every fall, year after year, is that our intentional programming helps faculty and students form positive, supportive relationships with each other.  These schools understand that their time at PBC forms the basis for teaching and learning for the school year.  By taking both teachers and students out of their comfort zones and going through a carefully sequenced set of exercises that build team and crucial 21st century skills like critical-thinking, communication, cooperation, and creativity, PBC helps schools build “climate and culture.” It’s the key to future learning that groups take back to the classroom. 

Schools that come to the Center understand how incorporating social and emotional learning enhances students’ education. According to the Aspen Institute’s report, “It is a mistake to view social and emotional learning as a “soft” approach to education. Quite the opposite. An emphasis on these capacities is not the sacrifice of rigor; it is a source of rigor. While many elements of a child’s life improve along with the cultivation of these skills, one of the main outcomes is better academic performance.”

One of the three core goals of PBC’s award-winning Summer Bridge Program is to build supportive relationships with students and the adults in their lives, recognizing that “students learn from the people they love.”  Our teachers and chaperones speak regularly about how important and impactful this is for them and their students. Follow this link to hear one of our Summer Bridge Program teachers from Wilson Elementary School speak about the benefits of building a relationship at PBC.