Why go on overnight trips in the middle of winter? FBRA winter overnights help our students get comfortable in all kinds of outdoor conditions, develop stronger relationships with classmates and teachers, and build skills in the outdoors. 6th graders spend a night in Worley’s Cave in East Tennessee, 7th graders camp and explore Congaree National Park in South Carolina, and 8th graders ski at Sugar Mountain in Banner Elk, North Carolina.
6th Grade Winter Overnight: A Night in a Cave
It may seem scary to spend 24 hours in total darkness, underneath a mountain, but our 6th graders come back filled with confidence and enthusiasm for facing and embracing this very challenge. (They also come back with some seriously slimy laundry.) Exploring the nooks and crannies of Worley’s Cave is fun, damp, and filled with opportunities to push beyond one’s comfort zone.
The trip isn’t all spelunking; the students also get to stay in a cabin for their second night, as well as visit the Gray Fossil site for an interactive behind-the-scenes experience with the scientists who work there. FBRA graduates often say that this was their favorite FBRA overnight of their entire three years in the program.
7th Grade Winter Overnight: Swamp Life
7th graders are the only group to actually camp in tents or tarps for the winter trips, but they’re in South Carolina where the weather is usually milder. These students get to explore a completely different ecosystem from our WNC mountains: the largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the Unites States.
8th Grade Winter Overnight: Skiing Sugar
After weekly field lessons at Cataloochee Ski Area to develop safe ski skills, 8th graders get to ski a larger mountain for their last winter overnight with FBRA. Evenings are spent at a group lodge with games, group initiatives, movies, and other bonding activities. A bonus activity for the girls this year was getting to visit Penland School of Crafts, while the boys hiked to Catawba Falls.
These trips are more than just fun with friends in our outdoor spaces. The ultimate purpose is in service of FBRA’s mission of building character and integrity for a lifetime of learning, service, and leadership. We talk about “expedition mentality,” or determination for the group to succeed. We teach students to think about the experience of everyone on the trip, not just themselves. Starting with following the packing list, we teach students to be prepared for the situation by having all of the appropriate gear. On the trip, we ask students to constantly check on the group welfare. Is your classmate homesick? How can you help them? Is your classmate not quite ready for that black diamond ski run? Of course, your group will stay on the blue slopes with them. Observing our students debrief their trip in a community meeting, one hears reflections that they really were growing and internalizing the larger message of these memorable experiences.
For more about FBRA’s outdoor programs, click here. For more about our social/emotional program, click here.