-PDBM/FXT throwing away that day. On hikes the kids pick up any piece of trash they Continued from page 1 see, while keeping an eye out for deer. All of this is aimed at changing the Science Center’s science camp in the children’s behavior for good. Cupertino foothills. “I think that the most value that It is common for fifth-graders to be comes out of camp is a kind of the astonished by many of the things they rewiring of their brain,” Lauder said. see at science camp, said Ron Lauder, “In the past they weren’t going to be a field instructor with Walden West. thinking about nature, they weren’t In fact, Lauder and his colleagues going to be thinking about where aim to instill a sense of wonder in the their food comes from, they weren’t children who attend their educational going to be thinking about where an camps. aluminum can goes if you throw it “A lot of these kids are so sheltered,” in the trash. What we’re hoping for is said Lauder, who has been working when they go home that they might on educational programs at Walden actually start doing some things to West since 1997. He said many of the protect the environment.” kids who arrive at the Walden West According to Grimm’s observations science camp have never been in the over her several years attending forest, dipped their hands in a creek Walden West, many of her students or seen a wild deer. are making the positive changes “It’s a really eye-opening experiLauder hopes they will, both at ence for them,” said Nicole Grimm, school and at home. a fifth-grade teacher at Huff. “Being “The science camp experience able to go on a hike and see leaves and encourages personal responsibility organisms firsthand can really link for our environment and the world what they learned in the classroom to around us,” said Craig Goldman, the real world.” superintendent of the Mountain Grimm, who has accompanied her View Whisman School District. “It class to science camp for the past four gives students an opportunity to years, said the time spent roaming think about how their day-to-day around outdoors, examining leaves practices impact today’s world and and rock formations, really helps the the world of the future.” students contextualize what they have Goldman has been a big supread in their textbooks and apply their porter of the fifth-grade tradition lessons in the real world. since he was a principal at Huff. One of Grimm’s students, Abhiraj Back then, he said, outgoing students Giritharan, explained with relish would regularly tell him that their how on one science camp hike he was fondest memory of Huff was attendable to identify a plant’s xylem and ing science camp. phloem structures; another, Brianna In addition to making life-science Sauter, discussed animal scat with a lessons “personally relevant” and straight face; a third, Sarah Daventeaching children to be more enviport said she had come to a realization ronmentally conscious, the experiabout the role trees play in producing ence of going to camp also helps oxygen when she considered how build critical social skills that will be fresh the air was outside her cabin useful later in life. each morning. “For many, it’s their first oppor“In the city, there aren’t as many tunity to be away from home for an MICHELLE LE trees, and the air isn’t as fresh,” Sarah extended period of time, to interact Top: Huff Elementary School student Samuel, left, catches up with the rest of his class as it heads out for a hike. said. and to work with peers on a 24-hourBottom: Huff Elementary School’s 5th grade boys clean up and play around after lunch. Grimm said that science camp has per-day basis for four days,” he said. always proved to be a positive experi“I think it’s a very positive experience ence and that this year was no exceping,” she said. “That gets you every year.” teach kids to be stewards of the environto have to share close quarters with tion. Hearing her students talking to one In addition to supplementing the stu- ment. other students. It’s a great life skill.” another about topics they have discussed in dents’ life-science curriculum, Lauder After every meal, Lauder has all the The district pays for the majority of the class and watching them actively involved in — who goes by the nickname “Spider” children dump their leftovers into a plastic $225 per child cost for a week of science one of field guide’s lesson plans is gratifying. with campers and coworkers — said it has bucket, which he then shows the group in camp and does not turn any child away “They’re so excited by what they’re learn- always been a mission of Walden West to order to illustrate how much food they are due to financial hardship.
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