Outdoor Education Process
Dunn's Outdoor Education program is a seven-year experiential curriculum with many courses unique to the Dunn program and others modeled after the National Outdoor Leadership School. Dunn School was the first boarding school to be accredited by the Association for Experiential Education and is one of only a handful of schools in the country with this accreditation.
The varied outdoor activities that students engage in over seven years takes them into the wilderness with the aim of having them emerge out of it as leaders. A number of learning tools and techniques are incorporated to generate necessary learning. On all class trips students are placed in groups and teams in which they do not know each other as individuals or as friends from school. Groups are constructed so new friendships can form and so that students can experiment in a group of people outside their normal circle of support. Moreover, over the course of the seven years students keep journals and diaries of their experiences, which are mailed to them only after they graduate from college. Other purposeful activities include "final fireside" and "burrito blowout" discussions, soloing in the wilderness and senior chapel.
“Good expedition behavior – respectfulness, flexibility, tolerance of others, courtesy, direct communication, self-awareness, and teamwork – becomes critical when traveling in small groups in remote areas. These skills are also the hallmark of high-performing teams in the workplace.
To develop these and other skills needed to lead groups both in the wilderness and at work, seven educators, a professional climbing guide, and a U.S. Marine Corps captain joined a program this past August of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) held in the rugged terrain surrounding Washington’s Mt. Rainier.
Nadine Andrié, NOLS instructor explained that good expedition behavior “can be the difference between an average course experience and a great one.” The expedition experience is centrally concerned with “learning each other’s strengths and growth areas, teaching, coaching and supporting each other” in physically challenging settings. And that, she said is “one of the most transferable skills from the backcountry to the workplace.”
Marine Captain Tom Przybelski came to the course to compare military and civilian styles of leadership and team building in a harsh environment and then to learn what he could take back into the Marines. “An outdoor program is at its best,” he added, “when it is able to teach life-skills in addition to the nuts and bolts of living in the backcountry,” and he was particularly impressed with how fast and fully the group transformed itself from nine unrelated individuals into a close-knit team that was ready to surmount whatever challenges the wilderness presented.
The lessons of wilderness expeditions are becoming of value to other organizations, too. As NASA astronauts move from short trips in space shuttles to many months on the International Space Station, expedition capacities are becoming increasingly important, and astronauts are now being readied for space with trips to the backcountry. Today, nearly a third of all U.S. astronauts have been on a leadership expedition co-organized by NOLS and NASA.
While most of us are likely to remain earth-bound for the foreseeable future, it’s clear that good expedition behavior learned in the backcountry can be highly useful for surviving in our own “frontcountry."
6th Grade
Core values met on the 6th grade trip:
Mission: This trip is about students having fun and learning more about themselves, their peers, and their immediate environment. All students live on the Central Coast. Emphasis should be on science/ecology, leadership, and character building. We're hoping to build confidence and break down fears they may have about themselves and personal abilities as well as fears about the natural world.
Key Points
· Fresh waster ecology/biology
· Water Resource issues
· Salt Water Ecology/biology
· High Challenge Elements
· Low Challenge Elements
· Primitive skills
· Local Flora and Fauna
· Microscope use if possible
· Native people information
We are working on having students keep a journal that will follow them through 3 years of outdoor trips as middle school students. A small amount of time needs to be fit in for reflection / journaling.
7th Grade Spring
Core Values met on the 7th Grade trip:
Moral Courage, Emotional Wellness, Academic Excellence, Physical Readiness, and Social Responsibility
Pinnacles National Monument – Basecamp
· Environmental Education
o Inland plant communities and adaptations
o Geology
o Birds
o Astronomy
· Camping Skills
o LNT
o Working together as a team
o Cooking
o Remote environment
· Other
o Day Hike
o Service
o Climbing
8th Grade Trip
Core Values met on the 8th Grade trip:
Moral Courage, Emotional Wellness, Physical Readiness, and Social Responsibility
Joshua Tree
The 8th grade trip is the first experience many students will have in the outdoors. It takes place during a week in the spring. The focus is on helping students to take responsibility for their needs. Skills like independence, motivation, self-sufficiency, group living, communication and willingness to try new things will aid in their transition to high school.
Key Points
· Climbing
o Challenge their comfort zone. Persevere when faced with adversity, and try again
o Focus on clear communication
o Encourage students to support and encourage each other
· Backpacking
o Self Care
o What things are necessary and what are comforts
o Getting to know classmates better
o Enable students to learn about themselves
o Fun!
· Expedition Behavior
o -Do your share and stay organized
o -Resolve conflict in a constructive manner
o -Help others but don’t routinely do their work
o -Admit and correct your mistakes
o Model integrity by being honest and accountable
o Respect the culture you come in contact with
Freshman Trip
Core Values met on the freshman trip:
Moral Courage, Emotional Wellness, Academic Excellence, Physical Readiness, and Social Responsibility
Courtwright Res.- Backpacking and climbing
The freshman fall trip is the first experience new Dunn students have with the Outdoor Education program. The course is designed around a backpacking trip that will introduce participants to the many technical skills that they will continue to use and refine over their four years of trips at Dunn. The trip should help students become comfortable in the outdoors and in working as part of a team to accomplish mutual goals. The trip also incorporates a day of rock climbing and a short solo.
Key Points
· Expedition Behavior:
o Do your share and stay organized
o Resolve conflict in a constructive manner
o Help others but don’t routinely do their work
· Conflict resolution.
o Listen to what the other person has to say before you respond.
o Speak in I statements on how things affected you.
o If unable to resolve the conflict ask for help from an adult
Sophomore Fall Trip
Core Values met on the sophomore trip:
Moral Courage, Emotional Wellness, Academic Excellence, Physical Readiness, and Social Responsibility
Yosemite National Park-Backpacking and climbing
The Sophomore Fall trip is students’ second backpacking experience with Dunn Outdoor Education. The trip expands on skills learned in the Freshman Fall trip and challenges students to take more responsibility for themselves in the backcountry. Students are also introduced to the concept and practice of Leadership.
Key Points
· Expedition Behavior
o Admit and correct your mistakes
o Model integrity by being honest and accountable
o Respect the culture you come in contact with
· Communication Skills
o Let the group know what you expect of them and what they can expect from you.
o Listen actively- Paraphrase for clarification
o Speak for yourself. Use I statements
o Try to put yourself in other people’s shoes
· Leadership Styles
o Relationship master
o Driver
o Architects and analysis
o Spontaneous Motivators
Junior Fall Trip
Core Values met on the junior trip:
Moral Courage, Emotional Wellness, Academic Excellence, Physical Readiness, and Social Responsibility
Trans Sierra backcountry hike and peak climbing
The Junior Fall trip is considered one of the most significant experiences for students in their four years of outdoor education at Dunn. The trip is designed around a wilderness-backpacking trip that culminates in the climbing of a mountainous peak. The trip focuses on expeditionary learning and goal setting. Students are involved in all aspects of the trip success from food packing to daily group decisions. Students are also given more responsibility as group leaders, under the supervision of two instructors. The trip provides students the opportunity to apply the technical and interpersonal skills they have developed over past trips and work to a common goal of a peak ascent.
Key Points
· Goals -SMART
· Specific
· Measurable
· Attainable
· Realistic
· Timely
· Vision and action
o Stay open and flexible to change
o Model the way
o Help create what you want to see
o Initiate: assess what needs to be done and do it.
o Help create what you want to see
· Expedition Behavior:
o Do your share and stay organized
o Resolve conflict in a constructive manner
o Help others but don’t routinely do their work
o Admit and correct your mistakes
o Model integrity by being honest and accountable
o Respect the culture you come in contact with
Senior Fall Trip
Core Values met on the senior fall trip:
Moral Courage, Emotional Wellness, Physical Readiness, and Social Responsibility
South Sierras- rock climbing, orienteering, challenge hike, and rafting
The Senior Fall trip focuses on responsibility, leadership and community. The trip is scheduled before school starts in the fall to give students a chance to talk about their summers, as well as giving them the chance to start looking ahead to their senior year. The trip allows the class to come together and brainstorm about what their challenges will be for the upcoming year as student leaders at Dunn.
Key Points
· Tolerance for adversity and uncertainty
o Turn challenging situations into opportunities
o Learn to endure, even enjoy, hard work and challenges
o Use humor. Keep things in perspective.
o See choices as many workable options and combinations, not either / or
o Live in rhythm with what you cannot control; control what you can.
· Expedition Behavior:
o Do your share and stay organized
o Resolve conflict in a constructive manner
o Help others but don’t routinely do their work
o Admit and correct your mistakes
o Model integrity by being honest and accountable
o Respect the culture you come in contact with
Freshman Spring Trip
Core Values met on the freshman spring trip:
Moral Courage, Emotional Wellness, Physical Readiness, and Social Responsibility
Kern River
The freshman spring trip is one that is designed for students to experience whitewater rafting, splashyaking, and rock climbing. The main goal of this trip is to have fun! This trip will be the students’ first experience with whitewater activities, as well as, safety and familiarity with whitewater. The experiences from this trip allow students to expand their boundaries while challenging themselves.
Key points
· New challenges
§ Whitewater rafting
§ Splashyaking
§ Water safety
· Expedition Behavior
o Do your share and stay organized
o Resolve conflict in a constructive manner
o Help others but don’t routinely do their work
o Admit and correct your mistakes
o Model integrity by being honest and accountable
o Respect the culture you come in contact with
Senior Spring Trip
Core Values met on the senior spring trip:
Moral Courage, Emotional Wellness, Physical Readiness, and Social Responsibility
Northern California rafting
The Senior Spring Trip is the last outdoor education trip for Dunn students. The trip occurs between the completion of final exams and graduation. The Senior Spring trip is an extended white water rafting trip that is typically held on the Trinity, Klamath, and Cal-Salmon rivers in Northern California. The goals of the trip are reflection on students’ high school career and experiences, looking forward to graduation and the future, a chance to spend time with friends, relaxing after exams, participating in a service project and thinking about community, respect and challenge with success and failure. The students participate in an overnight solo to help meet these goals.
Key Points
· Reflection
o Look back at you high school career
o Live in the present
o Reflect on your future
· Appreciate those that got you to where you are today
o Be thankful
o Solo time to reflect, thank classmates and time to enjoy your own company.
