Both teen leaders and 5th graders get to appreciate the natural beauties of Balarat and it’s surroundings. photo by Atlas Zaina
It can be scary going up to the mountains with a group of fifth-graders, but everything will be okay.
Being a citizen of Colorado gives many the opportunity to fall in love with the mountains and the nature that surrounds them. The close proximity of the mountains to Colorado’s towns and cities provides a beautiful and quiet getaway that is available at any time of the day. That is if it fits the schedules of everyday life. It can be hard to get away to the mountains if there is no time for it, especially if the majority of one’s time is spent in school.
Balarat is an outdoor education program that takes fifth graders out of their classrooms and into nature. The students learn about Western history, animals, and the mines that fill this state all while being immersed in the woods. Yes, this program is geared toward fifth graders, but that doesn’t mean that high schoolers can’t be involved. Balarat has a high school leadership program where students in 10-12th grade may accompany the fifth graders on their trip. The experience the fifth graders receive is mostly the same as the one the high school leaders would get. Though as a high school leader, they also get the chance to provide information and experiences that these fifth graders would not have had otherwise. The leaders hike with the fifth graders and do activities with them all while teaching them about Colorado history.
To start off the journey of becoming a Balarat High School Leader, the students are taken up to the campsite for two days. During these two days, high school leaders are shown the hiking routes that they will take the fifth graders on which gives everyone an opportunity to lead. This prepares the leaders for the many hikes they will eventually need to lead the students on once they arrive. The paths are easy to follow, though leaders are also given a map to help with directions. Once leaders and Balarat teachers arrive at their destinations, which typically are one of the major stops the fifth graders go to, the Balarat teachers show the leaders how they could help with the fifth grader’s learning. On the training trip, the high school leaders are given packets with everything they need to know. At each destination the groups stop at, they refer to these packets to help them get a hang of what needs to be done. Each leader is given a job and a section that they take the fifth graders to and educate them on that small piece of the bigger picture. The information the leaders are given about their section in both the packet and from the Balarat teachers is the same that will be given to the fifth graders. The training allows students to make connections with other high school leaders from different schools as well as get a general idea of what a high school leader’s role is.
An actual trip with the fifth graders in tow has its differences but also its similarities. Many of the activities that the leaders learn about during their training will probably also appear on their trip. Junior Hunter Bell has been a teen leader for many trips to Balarat and he recommends, “… high schoolers experience at least one semester of it because of the memories it brings back as well as the memories you get to help the fifth graders make.” Going to Balarat isn’t just something to get more credits or to get out of class, it’s an experience that teens get to have with the fifth graders. In Bell’s experience, “… being a team leader was rewarding. I personally love the outdoors and to go up in the mountains and disconnect from technology and share my passion for the outdoors with fifth graders is rewarding.” No matter what, being in the mountains is a great escape from everyday life, but it is rare that one is able to go into the mountains to experience so many activities and make memories with fifth graders. Teen leaders get that opportunity to disconnect while also learning new things, teaching new things, and making new memories. Luke Johnson, a Balarat teacher, believes, “You’re expanding that world that they know and showing them that there’s a bigger world out there.” Outdoor learning experiences are so important for everyone who is involved, the fifth graders get to do things they may have never gotten the chance to do otherwise and the Teen Leaders get a break from everyday life. Anyone in 10-12th grade has the opportunity of a lifetime at their fingertips and if they have the chance to take it, they should.
