Big Lake Youth Camp hosted 47 sixth grade students from three of our conference schools for Fall Outdoor School earlier this month. Upon arrival, they were greeted with some snow coming in on Monday, followed by three mostly sunny days! 

Students spent quite a bit of time outdoors in various classes, studying subjects such as Trees, Earth, Water, and Fire Ecology. Teachers Sharon Cutz of Livingstone Adventist Academy, Conan Lizzi of Portland Adventist Elementary School, and Jennifer Youker of Tualatin Valley Academy joined Oregon Conference superintendent Kim Cornette in each teaching one of the four core classes. Other activities included 4-way Kin-Ball in the lodge, Capture the Flag, a salmon migration obstacle course, an astronomy unit, and a field trip to nearby Scout Lake for the legendary “Life and Death in the Forest” game. 

Outdoor School is not just about STEM education, though. It's about building leadership and communication skills in students as they interact with and get to know students from other schools. Perhaps most importantly, it's about developing a deeper relationship with God. Worships this session were led by Pastor Jose Galvez (Molalla, Silverton, Stayton), and centered around being bold -- bold enough to stand up for what you believe, and bold enough to take care of those around you.

Our hope is that students come away from Outdoor School with hands-on learning experiences in nature along with new friends, skills, and a better understanding of who God is.

Check out a gallery of photos from the week on our Flickr...