Guest post by Regan Fox, SAS Guide
We Guides always want our students learn a bunch of things during their week with us at SAS. We hope they learn and retain some science, like how energy flows through a food web, how many hearts a worm has, or what forces act on a moving bike. We also hope they gain practical skills, like how to rock climb or shoot a bow and arrow. Most of all, at the end of their week at SAS, I hope that students take these three life lessons home with them:
Lesson 1: They are capable of doing hard things.
Outdoor activities such as rock climbing or BMX biking can seem extremely daunting to some middle school students. By keeping open communication with students before, during, and after such activities, we can facilitate how to work through intimidating experiences. Students often feel more confident after conquering their fears. Even minor accomplishments can show students that they can overcome their worries and do hard things! We hope when they face tougher situations in the future, they can look back on these times and recall a time they overcame an obstacle.
Lesson 2: They are cared for.
While students are only with us at SAS for a few days, that’s enough time for students to go home feeling like they have made better connections with their school community. Hopefully students realize there are teachers in their school who care about them, who they can go to if they need support. We also hope they make deeper friendships with their peers that they can take back to their school with them.
Lesson 3: Scientists come in all forms.
Being a scientist doesn’t always mean being an old guy in a lab coat pouring chemicals into a beaker in a lab. Sometimes being a scientist means being outdoors observing animal behavior, experimenting with the best rock climbing techniques, or exploring the physics behind riding a bike. Learning science can and should be fun, and everyone can be a scientist!
Written by Regan Fox, SAS Guide