Involve Me & I Learn; Staff Training 2023

 

"Tell me, and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me, and I learn."

This quote lives in our Course Journal and comes up often when circled up. As Experiential Educators, we bring this quote to life whenever we work with folks, whether they are participants or staff, we educate through doing, experiencing, and involving. 

This past weekend, we held our second annual staff training overnight. We had fourteen participants ready and eager to learn, share, and prepare to work for Outside Perspectives this season. Our Program Director, Liza, and Lead Instructor, Aimee, assembled the perfect hiking and canoeing overnight for us!

Everyone arrived on Saturday around 8 a.m. with bags packed and plenty of coffee on board. Liza gave new folks a tour of the office and our gear room before we headed outside for a few games. Aimee was ready with her endless bag of tricks and had us all acting silly and laughing within minutes. Nothing like Zoom-Mooz to break the ice.

Liza and Aimee then guided the crew to the next initiative, highlighting the importance of one crew, one mind. Helium Stick requires that every crew member works toward the same goal. It can be a challenging initiative but can be the source of an impactful debrief when done correctly. 

Once back inside the office, Nicky kicked off her "OP Ted Talk," as we've come to call it. We hold our staff in the highest regard and work to build an OP culture that involves everybody that chooses to drive our mission forward. With that comes full transparency and an opportunity to hear the WHY and the HOW behind the WHAT we do. (More to come on Nicky's OP Ted Talk!)

The rest of our training went off like any hiking/canoeing overnight. We lived it and learned it. Rain or shine, and this weekend, Mama Nature chose RAIN. Everyone piled in the OP van and headed to a trailhead near our office. Nicky and Liza led the trailhead briefing, using Raccoon Eyes to guide the risk management and preparation discussion, and then pitched us a conversation starter to kick off our hike. We spent the next hour and a half getting to know each other on the trail, with a few circle-up opportunities to dive deeper into our policies and procedures.

Once back at camp, we discussed the EGGS strategy to support group management, especially right after a transition. EGGS stands for; E, essentials, G, group, G, group, S, self. Then we took cover under "Big Red" and played a few games to keep the morale steady! 

The real magic happened when Aimee and Chris went all in on the fire-making with shelter from the rain provided by Liz and Emily and kindling created by Joe. Perseverance and teamwork were on display. The chefs prepped foil meals to be cooked over the fire, and the rest of the crew helped each other set up tents in an attempt to keep them as dry as possible!

Before diving into our hard-earned dinner, Nicky led a Chow Circle. We engage in this practice regularly, before each meal, while on course. Chow Circle creates structure and predictability for participants and helps to re-focus the crews' energy during transitions. Chow Circle consists of an opportunity to make any announcements, a chance for the chefs to share what's been prepared and how to receive the meal, a quote, and a moment of silence while we "pass the pulse" before exclaiming "Peace and Chow everyone!" 

When the rain finally let up, we dried out around the fire with a little evaporation dance and many laughs. We carried our fire dance into an Evening Meeting, another practice we incorporate into our programs. On expeditions and courses, a major emphasis is placed on briefing and debriefing each day and the activities and relating these subjects to meaningful examples from the participant’s life. Evening Meeting allows the instructors to guide this process, maximizing the trip's impact. We went with "Apologies and Appreciations" for our debriefing tool, and the gratitude was abundant around our damp little fire.

On Sunday morning, the crew woke to the smell of coffee, thanks to Instructor Aimee and our Leader of the Day, Damion. As people moseyed out of their tents, fueled up, and packed up their belongings, the chefs made breakfast burritos. After a delicious breakfast, we circled up and chose "I have the power!" to guide our stretch circle. Before heading out for a day of canoeing, Aimee led a small group lesson on using the MSR Whisperlite stove. 

Once camp was packed up and cleaned up, we loaded the vans and headed to the canoe drop-in site at the Pinchot Sycamore in Simsbury. Nicky led a Canoe briefing and lesson, reviewing the parts of the canoe,  parts of the paddle, paddler roles, and strokes. Aimee then kicked off a few paddle games that had everyone feeling just the right ratio of competitive to silly. 

Then we loaded the canoes and hit the water. We paddled the Farmington River, practicing the different strokes and taking turns at the front and back of the canoe. Canoeing allows participants to learn cooperation on a one-to-one basis. It promotes a positive self-concept and cooperation as a result of the successful completion of a high-impact activity. About halfway through our journey, we pulled off at the Flower Bridge in Simsbury and had a charcuterie lunch in the sun. With the water as high as it is right now, we were able to paddle right up to the stairs!

Once back on the water, Aimee was kind and courageous enough to get in the water and teach us some rescue skills. With help from Liz and Shannon, we watched as they performed a T-Rescue. We practice this with participants on a lake during day one of a canoe trip. It's a rescue technique and a great team-building activity for all participating!

Partners swapped positions in boats, and we paddled the rest of the way to our take-out at Curtiss Park. We chatted, got to know each other better, raced, told stories, and laughed a whole lot. With a crew of focused and engaged folks and a little extra motivation from the mosquitos, we had those canoes out and loaded in no time.

We headed back to Outside Perspectives headquarters, where we de-issued gear and finished up our discussion of OP Policies in the office. Nicky and Liza handed out T-shirts and thanked everyone for dedicating their weekend to camping out with us, rain or shine, and learning the OP way. We are thrilled to have such a knowledgeable and passionate group of outdoor instructors joining our team this season.