The Learning Journey

Reflection has become a regular practice in our career. Teachers often plan a lesson, execute a lesson, and then think about how the lesson went in hopes of improving it for next time. After most camps we sit down and talk about things that went well and things that we could adjust for the future. We both value the reflection process and we aren’t afraid to put in the time to make things better for our families, campers, and overall program. Here are some raw reflections of the summer camps as we share some highlights and next steps in our journey.

We are sad to see summer camps come to an end. We loved getting to know the kids and their families that came back week after week. It’s only been a few weeks and we already miss you! We enjoyed watching new friendships form over these weeks and witnessed kids becoming more confident socially as well as with their actions. It was also great to meet families that were new to PWR each week and see the excitement on their face as they told their parent about the experiences they had at camp.

The community involvement has also been a highlight for us this summer. Kids were able to have unique learning opportunities this summer because of the amazing donors of our Spring Fundraiser. Equipment like bow and arrows, sling shots, survival gear, and tools where all donated off of our amazon wish list. The gently used buckets, old tools, and art supplies were also much appreciated. There were many volunteers and organizations within the community that graciously shared time and expertise with our campers. A special thank you to The University of Minnesota, Wild River Conservancy, St. Croix Outdoors, and Elle Holm Farms.

As we move forward and gear up for the fall, we will take our experiences from this summer to reach our goals as we fine tune our future program. In addition to our Saturday camps and School Day Workshops, this fall will include a Little Wild Root program for PreK aged children. We will also be launching some fun gift ideas and our first “pop-up” camp before the year ends.

Saying we are grateful for you, this experience, and our supportive family is a grand understatement! We value your partnership and will continue to be your guide as we all strive for our youth to stay rooted. You are raising amazing humans that are on their way to become self-sufficient citizens that are environmentally aware for their future.

Let’s continue this exciting journey of learning!

Let’s Get Rooted!