You can click on the link below to preview the presentation that Sarah will cover during the parent meeting on September 26th, beginning @ 7:00 pm in our cafe space. Sarah will also be available to answer any questions you may have during the meeting. I included a little information about Sarah below as well as her contact information.

Sarah Kronz

Director of Outdoor Education

BFA in sculpture and painting at Kent State University

sarahk@nuhop.org

Nature Name: Rainbow

Favorite Aspect of Nature:
There are always new things to see and learn in the woods. Exploring the natural world with all of the senses is always a fulfilling and exciting experience.

Why do you want to work with kids at Nuhop?
Most children do not get enough opportunities in their daily lives to explore, play, and express curiosity. I am very fond of giving children those chances to have fun while learning and growing in the outdoors.

In this class, students will start by learning basic canoeing skills and safety. After learning parts of the canoe, basic strokes, and safe boating practices, students will get into groups of two or three and canoe on Pleasant Hill Lake (Pine) or in the Hemlock pond (Hemlock). This class is weather dependent.

Students will be given a series of problems or physical tasks that they must solve as a group. Since the only way to successfully complete the task is to involve every member of the group, the emphasis is on group rather than individual success. After each activity, the facilitator will “process” with the group to discuss the activity and find both strengths and areas that may need improvement. During the next initiative, they will be asked to reflect on whether or not they made the improvements they needed. The process will repeat for several tasks of different difficulties. Each task can be tailored to the group to encourage each student to be a leader and participate to the best of their ability. Emphasis for this class is placed on trust, communication, cooperation, listening, leadership, and sharing of ideas.

Students will work with trained and certified target sport instructors to learn the safety and technical aspects of either archery or axe throwing. Everyone will have a chance to shoot arrows or throw axes (site dependent) and challenge each other to see who has the best aim.

The high ropes courses involve different challenges that take place 25-40 feet in the air. Students are properly fitted into safety harnesses and helmets, and given detailed instructions in “ground school” before they begin. Each student is responsible for setting their own goals on the ropes course. Our philosophy of “Challenge by Choice” means that while we expect students to challenge themselves to achieve their goals, and no one will force the student to go beyond his/her comfort level. With encouragement, students often are more successful than they first expect, which builds self-confidence, self-esteem and self-efficacy. Physical and emotional safety, under the watchful eye of trained instructors, is stressed in every aspect of the course.

This class focuses on grade-level appropriate geological processes like rock and mineral identification, weathering and erosion, the rock cycle, and the three major types of rocks. Students will use hands-on activities to learn these concepts and might visit a sandstone cave, or hunt for fossils in the limestone bedrock. Students can use rock hammers and field guides with the rock samples they find around camp to identify different types of rock. They may even make their own fossils or “rocks” using craft materials that represent real geological resources and processes.

Students will begin by learning or reviewing major types of energy, such as potential, kinetic, thermal, sound, light, and more. They will play modified versions of traditional games like “red light, green light” and “pictionary” to solidify these concepts. Students will then have an opportunity to explore and demonstrate sustainable energy practices by using our bicycle-powered generator and solar-powered charging station. Other topics of discussion may include renewable vs nonrenewable resources and the concepts of “reduce, reuse, and recycle.” Class will wrap up with a discussion on practical ways students can reduce their carbon footprint back at school and at home.

Students will start by creating their own “streams” or “ponds” using different materials and then demonstrate and discuss what would happen if humans interacted with this environment. After exploring their theoretical bodies of water, they will visit a real stream or pond and use different tools to determine the temperature, turbidity, velocity, pH level of the water. They will use the data they collect to make a hypothesis on the health of the stream and then discuss what effect pollution and other abiotic and biotic factors may have on the stream. They may also play a water cycle game to learn where water travels through our environment.

A favorite pastime for many of our instructors is fishing in the pond at Hemlock or the lake at Pine. We have been fortunate enough to obtain fishing supplies for our students, and would love to teach them how to safely catch and release fish while discussing the different species found in our environment.

The focus of this class is placed on practicing what to do in survival situations, i.e. shelter building, fire starting, finding water, and what might happen if these needs are not met. Students will collaborate to decide what resources they would want to have with them if they become lost in the woods. They will also learn multiple ways to start a fire, with a heavy emphasis on fire safety. They will construct their own natural shelters in the woods or learn to use tarps and paracord to create their own tents. Additionally, they will study the “rules of 3” to memorize how much time they could survive without certain needs being met. For a 1 hour class, they may need to choose between fire and shelter. In 2 hours, they should be able to do both. For a 4 hour class, if you want to try adding outdoor cooking, please contact Sarah to discuss your ideas.

Day 1: Lunch on own (brown bag)

Dinner: Taco Bar *no sides

Snack

Day 2: Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs/Bacon *includes cereal bar, fruit and yogurt

Lunch: Chicken Tenders and FF *includes fruit, dessert, and salad bar

Dinner: Pizza and Chips, Green Beans *includes bread, dessert, salad bar

Snack

Day 3: Breakfast: Pancakes/Sausage *includes cereal bar, fruit and yogurt

Lunch: Hamburgers and Tater Tots *includes fruit, dessert, and salad bar

• Enough clean, comfortable, weather appropriate clothing for the entire length of your stay (warm and cold weather gear)
  
• Consider the weather when packing. A warm coat, gloves, and a hat may be needed while other times a pair of shorts are appropriate.
  
• Raincoat/poncho for rainy weather
  
• Comfortable, closed-toed shoes and a few extra pairs of socks. An extra pair of boots or shoes can be very helpful. Crocs do not count as closed-toed shoes. Avoid them.
  
• Clean clothes/pajamas to sleep in.
  
• Sleeping bag and pillow OR Blanket, twin sheets, and pillow.
  
• Towel, and toiletries: Soap, Shampoo, Toothbrush, Toothpaste, etc.
  
• Reusable Water bottle
  
• Two extra, clean garbage bags for dirty laundry and dirty shoes (Pre-labeled with student's name)
  
• Medications currently taken by your student. (See instructions on separate page) These items will be turned in at school before students arrive at camp

• Chapstick
  
• Sunscreen and Bug Spray
  
• Flashlight
  
• Hiking boots
  
• Flip flops, slides, or crocs for showering and in-cabin use ONLY
  

• Weapons (please leave your pocket/survival knives at home)
  
• Money (there’s nothing here to spend it on)
  
• Anything that requires electricity or batteries (no phones, no curling irons, no microwaves) NOTE: Medical devices are an exception. Students who use a phone to monitor diabetes must bring their phone
  
• Candy, gum, soda, snacks for the cabin. Note: We are a nut-free facility. If a student needs to bring snacks for a medical purpose, please contact us for details about supplemental food protocol.
  
• Extra OTC medication (we have a stocked infirmary).
  
• Jewelry or other expensive or important items. (If you can’t bear to lose it, break it or get it dirty, think twice before you bring it to camp. We will not be refunding lost items)