Camp Green Meadows: My Cabin Leader Experience
The Main Building at Camp Green Meadows is the first stop for students arriving to begin their adventure.
March 22, 2019
Camp Green Meadows Outdoor School is operated through the Merced County Office of Education and is a four to five day program for 6th grade students. The camp offers high school students a chance to be cabin leaders. I was chosen this year to participate in this experience.
Los Banos students went with students from Fresno, and during the week, students stayed in cabins on site and spent their days out on trails in the Sierra National Forest surrounding Green Meadows. Using the outdoors as the classroom, teachers, naturalists, and cabin leaders took student groups out for two hour class hikes focusing on topics such as ecology, natural history, wilderness skills, and team building.
It was fun for all of us. It snowed on the first day and all the kids were excited. All the students behaved great, enjoying the experience of being out in the wilderness. My job was to make sure the students got to the places where they needed to be for classes and activities. Cabin leaders also had meetings while the students were working. We discussed students’ behaviors, upcoming events, and important things to make sure the week went well for everyone.
The students’ classes were fun. The type of classes that were offered included sledding, snow culture, rock climbing, arts and crafts, rest and chill, yoga and a couple of other classes. One of the hiking classes went on a walk to Secret Meadow, and it was such a beautiful place. In the classes students learned about outdoor living.
In addition, the outdoor school experience was full of social learning for students as they learned to work together with others and take on high levels of personal responsibility.
Overall, Camp Green Meadows was an impacting experience for students, as well as the cabin leaders. I learned how important it is to have more patience and how much responsibility is involved with being a leader. Often this experience is something they look forward to for years before their visit and one that they will fondly remember for years afterwards. Being a cabin leader will be an activity that I will treasure as well over the years.
Camp Green Meadow looks for volunteers to be cabin leaders several times during the school year. Try it out.
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