Students to Spend Midwinter Break at Yellowstone

For an adventurous group of middle school students, a February trip out west to live surrounded by wolves and bison is a dream come true.

After packing their outdoor gear and kissing their families farewell, 14 sixth- and seventh-grade students from in Berkley will spend midwinter break at Yellowstone National Park.  

“For many of the students, this will be the first time away from home without a parent," La Salette science teacher and trip coordinator Sheri Boura said. "It helps to build confidence to learn that they can work together cooperatively.”

The students will spend Monday through Friday living in the Yellowstone Youth Conservation Camp dormitories, where they will experience team-building activities such as cooking and cleaning.

Hands-on learning

The trip, part of an experiential learning program called Expedition: Yellowstone!, is designed to promote stewardship and conservation, both in the park and back at home. Students prepared for their trip by learning about the wildlife and ecology they will encounter while at Yellowstone.

“We follow a very specific curriculum run by the park rangers at Yellowstone,” said Boura, who teaches sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade science. “There are three main learning objectives of the program, which include developing an understanding of the park’s human and geological history and its ecological structure.”

Established in 1872, Yellowstone is the United States’ first national park and spans 3,472 square miles within Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, according to the National Park Service.

A tradition in the making

This is the second time La Salette students have participated in the program.

Abby Youmans, 13, was one of 13 sixth- and seventh-grade students who traveled to Yellowstone in March 2009. She remembers seeing bighorn sheep, elk and a few coyotes, plus taking hikes with her classmates.

“The weather was constantly changing,” said Abby, now an eighth-grader who lives in Royal Oak. “It would be crystal clear, and then all of a sudden, it would start snowing.”

Boura explained that the park's mountainous climate supports a wide range of conditions, from just a few inches of snowfall in some areas to accumulations 5 feet deep in others.

This talk of deep snow makes Isabella Smith, 12, of Berkley nervous. As a sixth-grade student, she will be taking the trip this year.

“I’m only 4 feet, 9 inches tall,” Isabella said with a smile.

She said she's looking forward to journaling, an exercise that will allow her and fellow students to write about their experiences from an explorer’s perspective.

“I can see how journaling will help with a lot of my classes. I love writing,” Isabella said.

A year of preparation – and fundraising

From the beginning of the school year, participants have been selling bagels, cleaning yards, washing cars and collecting returnable cans and bottles to help offset the trip’s $850-per-student cost.

“People in Berkley have been very appreciative of our weeding and planting and lawn-mowing efforts and are excited to help the students raise money for their trip,” Boura said.

Once home, the students plan to invite La Salette families to a spaghetti dinner to share videos and stories from their trip. Donations from that event will go to the Yellowstone National Park Foundation, which provided scholarships to cover 80 percent of room and board costs for the students, Boura said.

In addition to Boura and second-grade teacher Karen Fabian, six parent chaperones, including Isabella’s father, Paul, will accompany the group. With the parents’ help, the students plan to blog about their trip at ollsyellowstone.blogspot.com. 

Boura and La Salette Principal Dan Terbrack hope to continue the Yellowstone trips, which started as one student’s dream to share his experience at the park with his classmates.

A postcard wasn’t enough

When Joe Wonsil of Royal Oak traveled with his family to Yellowstone National Park during the summer before he entered fifth grade, he wanted to return with all of his classmates so they, too, could experience the majesty of the park.

Joe’s mother, Veronica Riha, who is associate professor of biology at Madonna University in Livonia, encouraged him to pursue the idea, and together they approached Boura. They created a plan, and in March 2009, Joe and an enthusiastic group of 12 sixth- and seventh-graders made their inaugural trip as the second school in Michigan to participate in Expedition: Yellowstone!

“Being outside is learning, and what better place for kids to learn about science than Yellowstone?" Riha said. "It’s a beautiful place with very unique geography.”

“Yellowstone is one of my favorite places, and I can’t wait to go back,” said Joe, who will participate in this week's trip as a junior chaperone.

A lasting impression

Terbrack is impressed when he hears students talk about their visit to Yellowstone.

“It’s just one of those experiences that our students will remember for the rest of their lives,” he said. “In many ways, all of our students here will be exposed to the Yellowstone learning experience because the students who go are so eager to share with those who didn’t go. It’s great for student morale.”