Jacob is brand new to the Leaders In Action (LIA) program this year. As a 6th grader at Charles Town Middle School, he became interested in the program when he learned that LIA focuses on “health, being active and outdoor activities.” Jacob quickly made friends in the program as the weeks progressed while participating in our many games and lessons. So far, his favorite part of our weekly meetings has been team building games and star wars because all the students play them together.
Jacob’s first trip to the Outdoor Education Center (OEC) was for the Science Olympiad with Jefferson County Schools. In early September, he was able to explore the OEC all day while participating in stations all based on science, nature, and wildlife. The next two times he visited us was for our weekend gardening program in October and November. In October he enjoyed making the slug slime, learning about indoor gardening, and planting seeds. During his November visit, his favorite part was being able to view the growth of the seeds he had planted in October and transplanting them into larger pots. Jacob also enjoyed planting daffodil bulbs and learning about bats and spiders.
Since Jacob has been in the program he has heard many other students discuss memories from last year’s summer camp. Jacob is very excited to attend the overnight camp this year at the OEC because “of all the cool trips, outdoor adventures, and fun counselors.” While participating in LIA Jacob has noticed he has been eating healthier, learning about nature and gardening, and meeting new friends which have truly helped when entering middle school. He enjoys having 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students in LIA as the program provides him with positive role models and good friends.
The entire OEC staff welcomes Jacob into our Leaders In Action program!
(Sarah Nowicki is an AmeriCorps Vista at FLOC’s Outdoor Education Center).
