With paddles in hand, 20 Marshwood High School students took their Outdoor Education and Leadership course onto the Penobscot River Sept. 19 for a Saturday of rafting near Millinocket.
Teacher Scott Patch led the outing, now in its eighth year, with New England Outdoor Center.
The schedule called for a 4 a.m. departure from Marshwood and a return around 9 p.m. Students participated in the “Double Trouble’ river trip, which included two runs through Ripogenus Gorge, home to Class IV and V rapids. Afterward, they were treated to a BBQ lunch. Patch said the weather was good, although a wind made for a cold finish to the day.
“When you’re in a raft, you have to listen, work together and do your part,” Patch said. “Everyone has something to contribute, and the group depends on each person making that effort.”
Those skills get regular practice in Patch’s Outdoor Education and Leadership course. Students learn to navigate with maps and compasses, use camping equipment, assess risks and provide wilderness first aid. The course combines physical fitness with learning how to make decisions, take responsibility and care for the places students visit. Many of the trips/activities happen outside of the regular school hours and require students to plan and coordinate their schedules to be able to participate.
“You learn something about yourself when you try something challenging,” Patch said. “We want students to build confidence, but also to recognize when they need help and how they can support someone else.”
Patch has been creating outdoor opportunities for Marshwood students since 2012, when a Marshwood Education Foundation grant helped him establish Hawk Outdoor Leadership Development. The program gave students opportunities to explore the outdoors and connected high school students with Great Works School fifth graders as mentors during trips to Pinkham Notch.
Students in the current course can earn that same chance to lead. Those who meet the participation, academic and behavior requirements may help guide fifth graders during the spring trips, working alongside Appalachian Mountain Club instructors.
For the September rafting trip, bus driver Brian Carroll helped the group make the journey north and home again.
“I want to thank our bus driver, Brian Carroll, for getting us there and back,” Patch said. “A trip like this makes for a long day, and we really appreciate the time and care Brian gives our students.”