When High Trails was approached by Amanda Martin last spring with the offer to have the AEOE (Association of Environmental and Outdoor Education) Southern Fall Conference at our site, we thought “Why Not? It might be kind of fun.” Little did we know just how fun it would be. 80 outdoor educators + a crisp […]
I believe in not taking things for granted. In the early years of High Trails, staff would start to talk about the next school year and I would stop them in their tracks. “If there is a next year” I would counter. “If students learn, have fun, and stay safe this year”. I would keep […]
Instructor: “Ok, who can tell me an example of a renewable resource?” Unnamed Student Raises Hand. Your mind goes blank. You look down at your attendance sheet. Back at the student. Back at the attendance sheet. Nothing. Their name? You don’t have a clue. Embarrasing. Instructor: “Umm… yes… you.” This has happened to everyone. Whether […]
“Let me tell you a story of wolves and rivers,” I tell my students, “…Gray wolves of Yellowstone were one of the earliest species in North America to be considered endangered in 1967. Gray wolves had been hunted down to near extinction until they became protected. Then environmental agencies and organizations tried ‘reintroducing’ only 21 […]
At High Trails, we have lots of staff members who at some time or another have to manage people. We have Directors, Coordinators, Head Cooks, and several Collaborators. Within that group of around 15 people, only a couple have had formal training in how to manage others. The rest of us showed we were good […]
My dad then turned to me and said, “I have to fire this worker. I remember when I was in high school and my dad showed me a picture on the front page of the Charlotte Observer (NC) of construction workers on scaffolding moving a giant organ into a church. He was excited to show […]
I am one of three Medic Coordinators at High Trails, which, in a nutshell, means I am in charge of student health and safety for the duration of a school’s stay here. At 23 years old, I am the youngest of the High Trails administrators, in addition to being one of the youngest people on […]
A little while back I got a call from another local outdoor school asking if they could come talk to us and pick our brains to help them figure out some of their current staffing and scheduling issues. The cynical and business-minded side of me thought “Why would we want to share our success with […]
The Coordinator is an active manager of daily operations, ensuring that the program runs smoothly and efficiently. The Program Coordinator provides a vision, plan, and leadership for program development, training, and performing evaluation on staff. Here at High Trails we have 4 coordinators and 2 program coordinators. These coordinators make sure operations run smoothly so […]
I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people. -Mahatma Gandhi Throughout the years I have had the opportunity to lead a variety of groups ranging from students to peers. Figuring out exactly how to communicate to your peers as an administrator can be a delicate task. Thankfully […]
