Friends of Outdoor School
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June 8, 2011
As a continual volunteer, I saw the good this program does. Children learn not only environmental skills, but are exposed to a different way of life. I am certain that this program is one of the reasons Portland itself is an exceptional place to live.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
Everyday life.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
I would get them more funding.
November 30, 2009
As a student leader for Outdoor School, I got the chance to experience the positive changes a week of outdoor school can make not only in the lives of the sixth graders, but in the lives of the other student leaders as well. I grew up in a school district that did not offer outdoor school to its sixth grade students and therefore didn't have any idea about the program at all. Not until my junior year of high school did I really get involved with the program. I was a four time student leader and every week I went out changed me and made me into a better person. I was able to mature and learn how to become a better leader and role model. I learned how to push myself outside of my comfort zone and really find who I am as a person. The sixth grade students I had the pleasure of working with made me realize how much my volunteering made an impact in their lives. My most memorable experience will always be when my first week one of the girls in my cabin told me that after coming to this week of outdoor school that she learned it is ok to be yourself and that your true friends will like you for who you are. Sometimes I feel like I learned more from those kids then they could ever learn from me. Outdoor school made such a positive impact in my life and really helped me to become the person that I am today.
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What I've enjoyed the most about my experience with this nonprofit is...
the ability to work with kids and see the positive changes a week of outdoor school can make in their lives.
If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could...
educate all of the kids from school districts all over Oregon. They could give every school district the chance to expericnce the life changing experience of a week of outdoor school.
How frequently have you been involved with the organization?
About every six months
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2009
September 17, 2009
I was a student leader (volunteer) at outdoor school 6 times during my high-school tenure. I had always known I was going to come back as a student leader as I was practically raised at summer camps but nothing I ever experienced was comparable to being a volunteer at outdoor school. I cannot put into words how important outdoor school was for my maturity and I cannot possibly explain how much I miss it. After every week I would have at least four kids talk to me about how much outdoor school had changed their lives, saying things like "I never knew that science could be so much fun" or "I never knew that I could be such a leader" or "I will never forget this place". Outdoor school is an incredible education program, not only in academics, but beyond anything else, outdoor school is an education program about community. Everyone who I have ever worked with/taught to at outdoor school left that week feeling more able to handle the responsibility of being a global citizen, and that is something that I personally will never, ever forget.
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If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could...
educate literally every child in Oregon about the intricacies of the world we live in. They would be able to push green legislation (the only thing preventing certain bills is education) into law when it was once only talked about.
How frequently have you been involved with the organization?
About every six months
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2008
September 11, 2009
Friends of Outdoor school provided the opportunity for me to be a student leader for outdoor school with sixth graders, which was such a great gift to me. As a student leader I gained lots of confidence that I didn't have and came to believe that I am capable of doing great things. Learning to lead, teach, and speak in front of other was something I believed I couldn't do, but outdoor school pushed me out of my comfort zone and taught me that I am capable of overcoming these fears. I love the family-like environment of outdoor school, I love the new things I get to learn there every time, I love the friends I make, and I love the accomplishments I come home with which help give me confidence for the years to come. Outdoor school gave me challenges, than helped me step by step accomplish these challenges so that I learn and gain confidence in myself. I have also been very inspired at outdoor school. I am excited to try new volunteer opportunities and have a learning attitude towards the things I do. I continue to volunteer at camps where while I teach and lead other I myself learns many good life lessons. As an art lover I have made a maple leaf out of metal in my jewelry class as a special memory of a time when we were walking back with the sixth graders and staff from field study and the maple leafs were flowing down all around like snow flakes. Than in calligraphy I made a magical art piece containing the words from the Magic Penny song which is the special song we sing at outdoor school, that piece won the first place award for the student calligraphy in the Oregon State Fair. In my case, as a shy Ukrainian girl, my outdoor school experiences made such a positive difference in my life. I carry so many special memories that I have gained there. Everyday I give to others because outdoor school has given me the opportunity to see the reward of living unselfishly. It has also taught me better child management tools which I get to use with my younger siblings. Outdoor school has truly planted a handful of positive seeds in me which are growing day by day benefiting myself as well as others.
Photos
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
learning valuable lessons, gaining confidence, and being inspired.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
leave it the way it is. I love it just the way it is.
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What I've enjoyed the most about my experience with this nonprofit is...
the things that I have learned which I get to apply to everything else I do in life.
The kinds of staff and volunteers that I met were...
different, compassionate, supportive, unique, and full of positive energy. I learned a lot because of the many different people I met.
If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could...
provide better training for student leaders, more staff, and more tools to use on field study.
Ways to make it better...
I would have gotten more involved.
In my opinion, the biggest challenges facing this organization are...
the bad economy making it hard for it to run because of low funds.
One thing I'd also say is that...
you can go through high school and you can go through college but the things you get to learn in the outdoor school environment you'll never get to learn in the classroom.
How frequently have you been involved with the organization?
About every six months
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2009
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