Carson City's Pioneer Academy students explore outdoor challenges at Rock Creek
Submitted by Carson Now Reader on Sun, 09/18/2022 - 4:31pm
“It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” This quote by Sir Edmund Hillary was a fitting theme for this year’s Rock Creek camping trip by Pioneer Academy students. After a two-year delay to endure a pandemic and then wild fires, 12 Pioneer Academy students and three staff were finally able to go on the outdoor canyoneering adventure to Rock Creek along the Feather River.
Students spent four days and three nights in the wilderness at Rock Creek participating in challenging activities and relating those activities to life and school challenges they face every day. With the guidance of Project Discovery leaders, students rappelled, climbed, scrambled, zip lined and even prepared their own meals. Each day students had to reflect on how they overcame each obstacle of the trip. Every student had a unique journey that helped them with their personal self-discovery.
This year many of the students said they are having difficulty being around their peers and not knowing how to make friends or suffering from panic attacks when in larger groups, so the staff focused on building team relationships and supporting the needs of others. The physical challenges the students faced each day quickly helped the students realize they could not do this adventure on their own, they needed others to help them and they were needed by others to help.
Pioneer Academy teacher, Jill Shufelt, joined the students this year and summed up the experience saying, “Rock Creek is an amazing opportunity for our students to get out in nature and learn about themselves. They learn that they are capable of accomplishing difficult tasks and overcoming fears. I love seeing them grow and developing a solid rapport with them at the very beginning of the school year. I think the bonds they formed on this trip will significantly help them throughout the school year as well. They learned to rely on and trust each other. I am so grateful to be a part of providing that opportunity to our kids.”
At the end of the trip the students were asked to reflect on their experience and their growth. Tayla stated she was able to overcome fear that would normally paralyze her and prevent her from moving forward. Coullan commented that he was able to make friends and now felt confident to be around people he didn’t know. Sariah said she gained a new perspective and respect of the adults on the trip.
Then there was Haley, an online student who like many Pioneer students struggles with anxiety when around groups of people. She called over the staff at the end of the trip to announce that she felt she could conquer her fear of being around people and join her new friends on campus in the classroom second semester.
Not every student had life altering moments of self-discovery, but they were all able to get a glimpse of what they are capable of when they pushed their limits, relied on others to help them and offered help when they see the need.
