Forest Bluff School Students Return From Two-Week Service Trip

Secondary Level students (ages 12-14) from Forest Bluff School in Lake Bluff recently returned from an annual two-week camping and service trip in Hudson, Wisconsin, where they completed several projects for YMCA Camp St. Croix. This year, students cleared buckthorn; built a fence for a horse and sheep pasture; removed docks and more than 90 gallons of invasive zebra mussels; added new bricks to a patio they built last year; and worked on a large erosion control project that involved grading the land and laying more than 20 tons of stone by hand. The camp staff was amazed by all that the students accomplished, how well they worked together, and the attention to detail and pride they took in their work.

Prior to leaving for the trip, students worked in committees to organize transportation, camping gear, food, first aid and safety, and finances. Once at the camp, students were responsible for cooking all their meals and cleaning up their campsite every day. Each morning and evening, they built a campfire and gathered around it to eat their meals and share stories. These trips are a chance for students to bond with one another in nature, free of screens and other distractions. A highlight of the trip was participating in a barn dance hosted by the camp as part of their Fall Farm Festival. The farm director was so grateful for the students’ enthusiasm that she said she would plan future fall barn dances to coincide with their annual visit.

The fall trip to Camp St. Croix is the first of three trips taken by the Secondary Level students during the school year. These trips are the cornerstone of the Secondary Level program at Forest Bluff School, not only because they encompass about six weeks of the school year, but also because they are so formative for our students. Maria Montessori described adolescence as a time for building confidence in their capabilities and joining the adult world. The fall trip directly engages the children in real, adult work. The long-term value of this work is evident. Camp St. Croix is peppered with structures built by former Forest Bluff students: amphitheaters, lookouts, archery ranges, and wildlife restoration projects, to name a few. These projects are lasting reminders of the work a group of highly independent adolescents can complete in a short amount of time when working together.