By Ephraim Abocado | Time spent in Community and Nature
Here in the world of Youth Development a lot of what is happening is in preparation for our upcoming programs. I often find myself learning new curricula activities and team building initiatives. For the most part I create new curricula relative to the different themes that we teach about such as; Farms to Food, Identity, Social Justice and the Environment. I always feel excited when I look at the calendar of events and find programs scheduled the following week
Recently, we hosted a group of students from Sequoia High School in Redwood City who are on the health care track and they had a wonderful time here at Hidden Villa. They got to interact with the different animals in the farm, challenged themselves on the Ropes Course Challenge, and developed their communication, listening and cooperation skills through team building initiatives.
Each student got the chance to interact with the animals on the farm. They tried new things like feeding the chickens, and felt the different textures of animal fur or feathers and bodies. They had to slow down and relax if they wanted to catch a chicken. This level of comfortability allowed them to present the chicken to their peers. Their excitement was contagious as they taught each other how to hold the chicken so that it felt safe and cared for. When I asked their favorite part of the day almost all of them said catching the layer chickens.
The students were really inspired by the connection that they made with the animals, nature and their peers. I think that they left with stronger relationships to each other. They really enjoyed their time here that they asked their teacher when they are coming back to camp. We are looking forward to seeing these students soon to experience camping and exploring more of the wilderness with some fun!
Ephraim is Hidden Villa's Youth Development intern. This past summer he served as a Hidden Villa camp counselor and says that he was impacted by the social and environmental justice concepts that came up in reflections and activities. He's excited to develop his skills as an educator this coming year and explore some of his passions.
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