What I'm teaching...

I thought I'd take some time to explain a little more about what I'm doing here.

So, if you don't know already, this internship includes learning all about camp ministry, which I'm really excited about. We'll have class once a week on various topics (really funny: an hour of this week's class includes learning how to dress for winter weather...think that just might be helpful), a conference with the Christian Camping and Conference Association, and a couple other of trips learning about other camps in the area and putting our knowledge to practice. Most of the learning we'll be doing is simply by doing, which I like. We (the 13 interns) will also be spending a lot of the fall preparing and planning for a huge weekend event that happens in January called Winter Xtreme. Still waiting to hear more on that...I just know it's huge and we do most of the work!

Our main responsibility though is teaching outdoor education to various schools who come to stay for a few days at a time. Outdoor ed is required in Wisconsin and Illinois, which is how we get so many people to come. It's so cool! So basically, us interns were split into two departments: the Science Center- has a really cool building with snakes and animals and all sorts of exhibits including what we call the Creation Walk, which takes participants through the 6 days of creation. These folks teach all sorts of cool classes like orienteering, map making, aquatic studies, astronomy, wilderness survival, etc. My department is called Timber Challenge. We run the high ropes course, rock climbing tower, GPS class, team building classes, archery, canoeing, and cross-country skiing. Everything we do is outside, and we run rain or snow or shine...hence, my excitement to learn how to dress for success. Nights have already been in the upper 40's at times. I've been wearing flannel and fleeces during the day to keep warm! It's so wonderful.

I heard this week alone in my department alone, we're teaching 131 separate classes. Craazzzy. It will be pretty busy. I think tomorrow, for example, I'll work from 8 in the morning to 9 or 10 at night because I'll be teaching two "night hike" classes. Obviously, I can't complain. :) Who wouldn't want to lead kids on a nature hike under the stars??

Anyways, that's a quick snippet of what I'm up to. Next up, the random quirks of Wisconsin...