Developing Leaders at Mount Rainier Institute: It’s About the How

by Laura Moore, Middle School Lead Teacher

In Family Feud, a popular game show that has run off and on for decades, contestants from two families compete to guess the most popular responses to survey questions. One might guess that winning responses for the prompt, “Name a leadership quality,” might include obvious choices like these, from Tony Robbins’ website: confidence, focus, honesty, positivity, ability to be decisive and to inspire. When narrowing the focus to middle‐school students, skills such as creativity and willingness to collaborate are key aspects that help define emerging leaders in addition to the more traditional characteristics. For Eton’s Middle‐School students, one of the capstone events that supports leadership development most critically is our outdoor education week.

This year, students visited the Mount Rainier Institute in Eatonville, Washington. Every aspect of this purposefully designed and relatively new program focused on strengthening student self-efficacy, which undoubtedly reinforces one’s sense of leadership. On the first day at camp, students revisited a popular camp activity, Each One Teach One, as they moved through Pack Forest. For our mix of returning and new students, this may have been the first opportunity during the year for everyone to participate in teaching each other. During this first day, we laid the foundation for decision-making, self-awareness in a new environment, and working collaboratively in small camp groupings. The day’s activities prepared students for more challenging times to follow.

The challenge for many of the students came with the physical demands required for a day spent at Mount Rainier National Park. Led by the engaging camp counselors, students left the Paradise parking lot in two separate groups to explore the area. We hiked up into the snow field, sometimes needing to posthole for footing, taking breaks to catch our breath and learn about the majesty and unique ecosystem found virtually in our own backyards. This physical challenge allowed the most comfortable students to help friends overcome barriers including fear of failure. Students negotiated their way together, gaining confidence along the way.

The major focus of the week was an original research project. Student groups spent at least one full day in the old growth forest generating ideas for their experiment. After sharing, they reached a consensus as to the one question to pursue and spent hours collecting data. This year, one group researched the species composition in the forest, while the other measured the size of old growth trees that reached beyond two arms lengths using foreign measuring devices such as the densitometer and DBH tape, Diameter at Breast Height. Data collection could not have been more different than what happens in the classroom—maneuvering through thick undergrowth, not having a chair upon which to perch, raindrops dripping, and spiders crawling. Students are supported, but not told on an individual basis exactly what to do. The group’s success relies on students stepping up, figuring out what needs to be done, and doing it.

“Students are supported, but not told on an individual basis exactly what to do. The group’s success relies on students stepping up, figuring out what needs to be done, and doing it.”

Outdoor education is not typically connected to a culminating symposium, but at Mount Rainier Institute, the students take the last evening to compile and analyze their field data, create a formal research presentation and divvy up roles for the following day’s presentation. This process helped to close the scientific process by sharing with the community. Rich experiences add a profound quality to leadership outcomes, as every student must stand in front of professionals, camp counselors, teachers and peers from multiple schools to communicate and celebrate their process.

Adolescence is an important time for growth within community and camp experiences that reinforce self‐esteem as well as catalyzing leadership potential. From the more traditional leadership qualities that might be included in a game show survey to less traditional aspects, students overcome barriers and find strength. Leadership is a dynamic process and this beyond-the-walls week provides our students the chance to see each other in a new light and highlights strengths that allow the community to flourish.