Outdoor school counselors gain valuable experience

Enriching the minds of sixth graders, outdoor school counselors enjoy a week of making environmental studies exciting for students.

Although some people may think that being a counselor is simply a week-long vacation for students, it is much more than that. Counselors get to make learning about the environment a fun learning experience for kids.

Senior Aubrey Herigstad, who has been a counselor five times, said counselors are the basic care provider of the kids. They also teach field studies on nature subjects such as plant, water, earth, and animal field studies.

Both Herigstad and fellow counselor, senior Keny Kind, said they especially like to teach the soil field study, but are comfortable with most stations. Kind said he likes teaching the sixth graders about the environment because it is something they would be less excited to learn in class.

Counselors also do silly things such as lead songs and act in skits.

“You get to watch them bloom,” Herigstad said, “Doing silly things makes it so much more fun.”

Kind’s favorite skit is “Ol’ Blue” which portrays a series of comical accidents happening while a man is away from his house. The sixth graders were quoting the skit throughout their whole stay, Kind said.

Junior Tyler Twedt who has been to outdoor school three times said he loves volunteering and working with kids. Herigstad, Kind and Twedt recommend that all students should consider becoming a counselor.

“You come out of your bubble,” Herigstad said.

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