Marshall County Students Back to LIFE at Camp
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A program in Marshall County Schools that had been dormant for almost two decades has returned for the spring, with Grand Vue Park playing host to the LIFE Camp.
The LIFE -- or "Learning In-Field Experience" -- Camp had once been a key part of Marshall County's curriculum before financial pressures forced the county to discontinue the program more than 15 years ago. Director of Curriculum Woody Yoder said the program was revived due to a recent surge in interest as a better way to connect middle school students to their lessons in previous years.
"Initially, we were working programming with the Schrader Center called 'Reach,' where they were sending instructors to all our fifth-graders," Yoder said. "After that, there was a grant through Chevron that allowed us to go to third and fourth grade and take them to the Schrader Center. So we decided it just fits that we needed to do something that culminates third, fourth and fifth grade. We knew we could do a lot of instruction that we could revisit in a big chunk up here."
Yoder added that since the last iteration of LIFE Camp, Grand Vue Park has seen major upgrades and renovations which make it more useful in an academic setting.
"The fact that Grand Vue is what it is is an opportunity for things that we didn't have in the past," he said. "And we have a great facility that allows us to do it. … Next year, when Moundsville Middle School has to come up here, I'm thinking there'll be a phys-ed teacher and maybe a social studies teacher. There's a whole ropes course over here they can work with, activity centers on trails. It definitely will pan out into other things."
At the camp, students from every sixth-grade class in Marshall County are taken to Grand Vue Park for two days for specialized outdoor courses in life science and biology. Yoder said the district had already booked the facilities for next year, and are considering renting the residential facilities for future years to incorporate night classes such as astronomy. Additionally, a five-week, twice-weekly program is planned for next year.
"We're going to offer an overnight setting, that will allow us a whole new piece of programming -- starwatching, and things like that," Yoder said. "Mainly, it was just motivation at the county level to see an event for sixth grade. … Sixth grade is just the perfect time to do this. … This is instruction. It's not just a day at the park, though on a day like this, it might feel that way."
Yoder added that the district is preparing to integrate the camp even more into the students' lessons, including an ongoing database of information collected by students and possibly livestreaming video of things, such as active bird's nests.
John Marshall High School student Savannah Weaver was among the camp counselors assisting the sixth-graders. Weaver said the camp provided an excellent learning experience for both the younger students and herself.
"I think it's really fun," Weaver said. "I like helping out with the kids, and since I want to go into teaching, this is a great experience for me."
Cody Stepanik, director of youth programs for the Oglebay Institute, said the students at the LIFE Camp gain valuable learning experience concerning the ecosystem.
"They learn how everything is connected -- how all life on earth is connected," Stepanik said. "They're learning how matter cycles -- however much water is how much there will be. The 'web of life' shows how a bunch of different species are connected, and what happens if you cut one string."