For Sierra Nevada Journeys Participants, Nature Is a Good Classroom
Originally published by Pat Hickey, Author and Columnist, Reno Gazette-Journal, published 12:01 p.m. Nov. 25, 2024 | Updated 12:17 p.m. PT Nov. 25, 2024; https://www.rgj.com/story/opinion/2024/11/25/for-sierra-nevada-journeys-participants-nature-is-a-good-classroom/76571691007/
America’s education system was created in the 1800s. Some would say it’s in need of a tuneup, or even a major rebuild. I’d be one of those. And so are the innovative folks who started Sierra Nevada Journeys, an outdoor learning camp that teaches science utilizing Mother Nature, and life skills using human-created ropes and barriers on challenge courses, to thousands of area students.
Some experts argue that traditional classrooms are considered outdated for children’s education, primarily because they often lack flexibility, fail to cater to individual learning styles, and do not adequately prepare students for the demands of a rapidly changing world which requires skills like critical thinking, collaboration and adaptability — which are not always emphasized in a traditional classroom setting.
For centuries, children have been confined in crowded classrooms and taught the same standard things: reading, writing, math, science and history. Even though the knowledge and skills gained from these educational building blocks are crucial parts of a young person’s education, they aren’t always best understood in a drab setting seated in confining desks taught by a “sage on the stage,” who can’t possibly paint a picture of biology quite like a meadow and a pond with live tadpoles can.
Founded in 2006, Sierra Nevada Journeys Outdoor Education Camp is located on 515-acres, just north of Reno in Plumas County, California. More than 10,000 students a year from Nevada and northern California attend their innovative outdoor, science-based education programs for youth to “develop critical thinking skills and to inspire natural resource stewardship.” In other words: Kids are out of the classroom, frequently in overnight experiences with their teachers and fellow students learning about nature, and — just as importantly — themselves.
I visited the camp recently and witnessed students and their teachers wandering the nature trails, cleaning the cafeteria where they eat, and navigating rope courses and climbing barriers meant to teach them trust and many of the skills they’ll face later in Real Life 101.
Spending the afternoon interacting with students and staff at the camp, I witnessed an unbridled joy in student groups, some of whom are staying in the camp setting for two nights, unhooked from their cellphones, to the delight of teachers and students alike. Tall trees housing zip line courses and wood bench amphitheaters appear to have more than enough allure — at least for the time being — to cause kids to forgo their constant-companion digital devices.
Sierra Nevada Journeys CEO Sean Hill has the innate passion of an outdoors enthusiast who appears to be enjoying the experience as much as kids from urban settings do. For many of the campers, it’s their first venture into nature. Sean, who tells me he would rather be “the guide on the side” than “the sage on the stage,” explains the three main focuses of the camp’s programs are “critical thinking, connecting to the outdoors, and youth development.”
Jonathan Haidt, the famed social psychologist who has gained notoriety in writing about political polarization and getting rid of cellphones in classrooms, writes in his book, "The Coddling of the American Mind": “Before the 1990s, kids experienced more risk, more thrills, more physical injuries, and fewer psychological injuries than they do today. Kids had more freedom to make mistakes and learn from them.”
Students who attend the camp experiences at the Camp get to experience a little of both, with the exception of physical injuries which are rare or non-existent in the Challenge Course which involves highly monitored climbing on towers with ropes, ascending barriers and trust-creating activities that often lead to an indelible impression on the mindset of a growing young person.
Commenting on the experience of the Challenge Course, students say:
“You made school a thousand times better. My favorite day was the challenge course.” – Austin, student, Overnight Outdoor Learning
“The wall on the challenge course completely changed my view on teamwork!” – Gigi, student, Overnight Outdoor Learning
"Camp is so amazing the way you bring people who would never be friends; then, we went to camp and became friends.” – Morgan, student, Overnight Outdoor Learning
It’s why a foray from the unnatural world of four-walled classrooms into the living ecology on a Sierra Nevada mountainside is such a revelation and learning tool for many of the students whose classes sign up and attend.
An experience in nature with peers outside of the usual social constraints seems to leave a lasting benefit for students when they return after the camp to the traditional classroom.
Even Horace Mann, who championed the idea of a universal public education system in the United States, once wrote: “A teacher who is attempting to teach without inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn is hammering on cold iron.”
No cold iron appears to be a problem to the students attending one of the science camps at Sierra Nevada Journeys:
“I learned that you can’t see colors in the dark and also how to identify different bugs using a dichotomous key.” – John, student, Overnight Outdoor Learning
“My favorite part of the field trip was the night hike. I learned that animals that can see in the night are called nocturnal.” Chris, student, Overnight Outdoor Learning
Bella, a student at Overnight Outdoor Learning, said she learned that “the sun is the closest star to Earth.”
It would seem that fires *besides the one’s campers sit around before sleep takes over after of strenuous activities) gets lit more easily in the minds of attending students in these natural settings.
Dan Klaitch, a Sierra Nevada Journeys board member and past chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education, understands how important it is to unlock the desire for learning: “You and I have had the privilege of growing up with the incredible beauty of the Sierra all around us. It is difficult to realize that there are so many young men and women in our communities who have not had that experience. It is humbling when kids see stars in a blackened sky for the first time, or catch a tadpole. All this happens in an environment where we stress teamwork, respect and an understanding of our obligation to steward our environment for generations to come.”
Seems like a win-win for both students and their schools. Thousands of students from WCSD schools, public charter schools and private religious schools attend programs at the rural facility each year.
The 18th-century English poet William Wordsworth wrote: “Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher.” We would be wise to give the next generation every opportunity to experience that in our own beautiful backyard.
As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, Sierra Nevada Journeys raises scholarship funds for local youth to participate in overnight programs. For every donation made by a new Nevada donor until the end of the year, your gift will be matched, dollar-for-dollar, up to $10,000. Go to sierranevadajourneys.org if you wish to donate.
"Memo from the Middle" is an opinion column written by RGJ columnist Pat Hickey, a member of the Nevada Legislature from 1996 to 2016.
Stuart Golder Joins Sierra Nevada Journeys as Director of Donor Relationships
Stuart Golder, MA, CFRE, Director of Donor Relationships, Sierra Nevada Journeys
Stuart Golder, MA, CFRE, has joined Sierra Nevada Journeys as the Director of Donor Relationships. As a member of the Advancement team, Golder is spearheading key donor relationships. He has devoted his professional career to program and fund development for nonprofits, higher education, and healthcare. Over the last 25 years, Golder raised funds for the Children’s Cabinet, the University of Nevada, Reno, Truckee Meadows Community College, and Renown Health Foundation, focusing on family services, education, and healthcare.
"We are excited to welcome Stuart to our organization. Our commitment to world-class science and outdoor education for underserved youth requires community investment, and Stuart is a natural fit to help communicate our mission and develop new partnerships for support," said Sean Hill, President and CEO of Sierra Nevada Journeys.
Golder's connection to Sierra Nevada Journeys began when his daughter attended Overnight Outdoor Learning in middle school, followed by several summers at camp. "I was familiar with Sierra Nevada Journeys through my daughter's engagement in the overnight camp programs. However, in recent months, I've had the chance to delve deeper into the organization, and I've discovered a true gem," Golder stated. "One of my first visits to camp was able to attend the employee awards ceremony and I was touched by the team's passion and commitment to delivering high-quality STEM programs to youth. I am excited to represent Sierra Nevada Journeys and the great work being done here."
Golder’s expertise spans major gifts, donor engagement, grant writing, planned giving, endowments, and capital campaigns. He is eager to support the students and staff at Sierra Nevada Journeys to expand the region’s STEM and environmental education programs.
Stuart earned his Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential and served as president of the board for both the Sierra Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Planned Giving Round Table of Northern Nevada.
If you're interested in meeting Golder for coffee and conversation, please feel free to contact him at 775.355.1688 or stuartg@sierranevadajourneys.org.
CEO Sean Hill Sits Down with Roadtrip Nation to Discuss Careers in the Outdoor Education Field
When students are in the classroom, they are often asked what they want to be when they grow up. They are told to dream big and that anything is possible. While some students will choose a more aspirational career, like a dolphin trainer-slash-ballerina, others will choose to mirror the jobs of those they look up to — their teachers. The need for teachers, and the encouragement for students to pursue teaching roles is needed now more than ever. While a career in education is full of possibilities, the roadmap to becoming a teacher is not always clear, nor do all teaching jobs look alike.
That’s why Teach For America and Strada Education Foundation fueled a Roadtrip Nation initiative to send three young adults on a free journey across Nevada to explore exciting new ideas, programs, and communities that are creating a new worldview of education in their own backyard. Along the way, they talked to inspiring professionals in education, legislature, the nonprofit sector, and other fields to get the advice they need to carve out their own paths in the state they call home.
And who better to talk about a unique career in education than our own Sean Hill.
Sean sat down with Roadtrip Nation to discuss his origins in education, and how it led him to his current role as CEO of Sierra Nevada Journeys. Hailing from Colorado, Sean has always had a love for the outdoors. He holds degrees focusing in environmental sciences, but really learned just how important outdoor education is when he found himself teaching in a windowless classroom in Houston, Texas. This led him to fully pursue outdoor education, so that students would be able to learn about the natural world without the boundaries of the traditional classroom setting.
Beginning in 2009, Sean spent the first eight years of his time at Sierra Nevada Journeys focused on education, first as an educator in the field and then as a curriculum developer, to finally training incoming educators. Sean’s firsthand experience of Sierra Nevada Journeys’ programs gave him the perfect foundation to progress through leadership roles in the organization, eventually shifting his focus to partnerships and the overall growth of Sierra Nevada Journeys. Sean shared openly that he doubted his own abilities at first when he stepped into the role of CEO, but credits his connection to nature and the mental health benefits that come from spending time in nature as factors that helped him as he settled into the role.
Sean’s progression through Sierra Nevada Journeys is inspiring, especially for the students who participate in our programs and are igniting their love of science and the outdoors. We hope that his story will inspire today’s students to become the leaders of tomorrow, and stewards of the environment.
Watch Sean’s full interview, and to explore more about Roadtrip Nation.
Behind-the-scenes at Oxbow Nature Area in Reno, Nevada, with Roadtrip Nation.
NOER grant helps girls in STEM get outdoors in Northern Nevada
By Sean Hill, President and CEO of Sierra Nevada Journeys
Saturday, Sept. 28, celebrates National Public Lands Day and Nevadans have also dubbed it Nevada Public Lands Day. In Northern Nevada, we want our children to have a chance at the opportunities provided by local industry to lead in STEM, outdoor, and conservation careers. Careers that pay well and protect our public lands. But we know that far too many of our girls are hitting a green glass ceiling, with only 10% of women in green jobs.
We at Sierra Nevada Journeys want to be a part of the solution to this crisis.
Based in Reno, Sierra Nevada Journeys is a nonprofit organization for Nevada students focusing on innovative outdoor, science-based education programs that develop critical thinking skills and inspire natural resource stewardship.
We were one of 23 unique programs chosen in 2024 for the Nevada Outdoor Education and Recreation Grant Program (NOER), a bill passed in the 2019 legislative session. The grant helps us provide outdoor experiences for students. NOER awarded these programs over $250,000 in 2024 in nearly every county.
We used this funding to support our “Girls in STEM" program. Specifically, this funding allowed us to provide transportation for the girls from Reno to our Outdoor Education camp for science and outdoor learning one weekend this past spring. The girls built self-confidence in STEM, and the program helped connect them to women who are leaders in STEM and green careers like engineering, education, and technology. Girls in STEM also featured youth development and collaborative problem solving on the Sierra Nevada Journeys high-hopes challenge course kayaking, outdoor exploration, and STEM activities.
We’ve been working closely with leadership from NOER since early in the agency’s inception. Sierra Nevada Journeys has both sought feedback and provided perspective and context around our efforts at reducing barriers to access to outdoor education for youth in Nevada.
We are grateful for this grant funding and the opportunity it offers our children. We know that this camp plays a role in helping more girls become leaders in STEM and in good-paying, green jobs. We also know that there needs to be continuous support for programs like NOER so these girls can return to camp as leaders and mentors to support the next generation of Nevada’s decision-makers.
Thank you Nevada Conservation League for helping us spread the word about conservation and protecting Nevada’s natural resources.