St. Mary’s students at Michigan camp

Van Wert independent/submitted information

Recently, St. Mary of the Assumption fifth- and sixth grade classes embarked on a five-day field trip at YMCA Camp Storer in Jackson, Michigan.

Students participated in several classes dealing with natural sciences, environmental issues, cultural history, and team building through active participation. Students spent significant time learning how past history effected how society is shaped today by going through an Underground Railroad experience as a slave.

The Storer Outdoor School has 1,200 acres around Stony Lake, with 15 unique ecosystems, to build a custom outdoor classroom program around a school’s needs. The Storer Outdoor School is a hands-on total immersion learning center serving more than 15,000 students from over 130 elementary and middle schools each year.

“The Great Outdoors” makes science and related curriculum come alive, and significantly more relevant, for each student. The importance of outdoor experiences reported in independent studies that show OEE programs raise science scores by as much as 27 percent and that OEE programs have a positive effect on student achievement in general.

In addition, studies show that outdoor educational experiences positively impact student behavior and interaction with peers as shown through improved conflict resolution skills.