Full Circle Blog

Full Circle Friday - Voyageurs Lutheran Ministry

8/1/2025 

Today marks the final day of our observation period. We have been so fortunate to spend time with pioneering leaders in outdoor education. Learning from and engaging with young adults across America has been a great gift as we continue to ask the question—How can we make schools just a little better? A little over a year ago, we were in the garden at Camp Hiawatha observing the Circle of Courage in action. Watching youth work in the community as they tie tomato plants or build water collection basins. Watching them learn what it means to be a steward for nature and one another. In that moment, we began to realize that the impact of camp and its ideal embodiment of the Circle of Courage was a story worth sharing. Meeting the fundamental growth needs of Belonging, Mastery, Independence, and Generosity was a real pursuit of camp programs, and the impact of that endeavor was no secret. This summer has reminded us of a fundamental truth: kids are kids no matter where they come from. They love to play, explore, storytell, learn, connect, and grow. 

Belonging

Returning this week to Voyageurs Lutheran Ministries (VLM) in northern Minnesota has been a blessing. For Noelle and Ashton, it is a home away from home. It got us thinking deeply about who we call family. For ourselves, camp communities have always emulated a community that is family-like. It is an environment where fellow employees and participants support each other. It is built on a genuine care for each other. In reality, we felt as if all of the camps that we worked with this summer were family. They took us in and genuinely cared and supported our passions and efforts as we supported theirs. As Dr. Brokenleg and Dr. Brendtro discuss in Cultures of Respect, kinship was expected beyond the nuclear family. They continue to outline the reality that youth were viewed as sacred beings by all, not just their biological family. By giving youth respect and trust, camps treat them as sacred beings. They elevate their interests, recognize their uniqueness, and build trusting teacher-student relationships. This community is built on the South African principles of Ubuntu—I am because we are. It is everyone's responsibility to rally around and support each other. Building this ideal within classrooms starts with viewing students as sacred and building trusting relationships with them. 

Mastery

The staff at VLM are effective listeners and engagers. Youth participating in programming are supported to try new things. Support among the staff goes beyond encouragement. It includes creating opportunities and environments for campers to achieve and try new things. A young camper this week was inspired by the older campers and their evident love for fishing. He had hardly fished before, but desperately wanted the chance to go fishing while at camp. The camp community rallied to make it happen. Although he did not catch a fish, he learned a new skill. He even got to touch a fish for the first time—a moment that filled him with joy. Despite not catching a fish, he did accidentally catch a tree, and he has had joy sharing that story. He was encompassed by wonder and fascination with an innate urge to learn more. A different camper this week wanted to carry the equipment pack to the picnic lunch location. Although being slightly undersized for the endeavor, he gave it his best shot with support, allowing him slight breaks. He managed to carry it the whole distance to the picnic site. He persevered, and his joy in his accomplishment radiated from him. From that moment forward, he has walked a little taller and has grown in confidence. By saying yes and finding ways to support youth through novel experiences, they grow in skills and confidence.

Independence

Camp program is filled with novel experiences that challenge youth and allow them to explore new adventures. VLM orients its afternoon around a choice block schedule. This design allows youth to practice supported independence as they explore their passions and personal goals. The question that comes from this reality is how we develop curriculum and class design around real individual choice. Approaches such as Universal Design for Learning (UDL) elevate student choice in the areas of representation, expression, and engagement. UDL meets the needs of individual learning by supporting different learning styles and increasing engagement (CAST). The reality is that UDL effectively leverages the innate pursuit of autonomy in youth. Like camp, it values the reality that youth engage with content differently. They create in ways that differentiate from their peers. Learning environments oriented around choice create spaces for youth to build self-control and self-confidence. Although choice requires letting go of design control, it allows youth to develop a certain responsibility over their learning. As prominent sociologist W.E.B. DuBois wrote, “Responsibility is the first step in responsibility.”

Generosity

Kurt Hahn was an educational pioneer in Germany during the Second World War. His ideals for education clashed starkly with Adolf Hitler leading to his imprisonment in 1933. Hahn studied generosity in youth and observed three methods to meet the need for generosity: “One is to preach at them—I am afraid that is a hook without a worm; the second is to coerce them—that is of the devil; the third is an appeal which never fails, ‘You are needed’” (Hahn 1959 via Cultures of Respect). The truth is camp needs youth. In a programming sense, youth are needed to help set up tents, participate in games, and sing with one another. In another sense, campers are needed to sustain the program for years to come. The most valuable asset to a camp program is the camper themselves. Programs thrive when campers feel needed and purposeful: it's essential for lasting impact. Whether a camper's purpose is singing the loudest at the campfire or helping younger campers fish, they embody the shared responsibility and purpose of uniting around a life-changing program. A camp program is quite literally nothing without the campers and their sense of joy, ability to wonder, and desire to grow. What would a classroom feel like if youth were just as needed as genuine contributors, leaders, and participants?

What if Schools Were More Like Camp?

At VLM, older youth go on overnight camping trips. Kids are often slightly wary of this endeavor because it is novel to many of them. Hiking out to a site, cooking multiple meals over the fire, and tent camping are real learning experiences. Despite this, many campers leave, highlighting this as one of the top experiences of their time at camp. Kids build resiliency as they persevere through the challenges of camping, and, with effective counseling, they can generate new skills and try multiple new things. This is because kids love to learn. Kids love to wonder. At one site, the youth were resourceful and took the extra tortillas from dinner to make tortilla chips in a pie iron. The other group picked fresh berries to make a marshmallow dessert in their pie irons. In the morning, they picked more fresh berries to make jam for their campfire French toast. As they described their pride in these pursuits, we couldn’t help but be filled with the same joy that they felt. It brings us back to our original vision in that garden a little over a year ago—just imagine if kids were as excited to go to school as they are to go to camp. Just as plants grow with the right conditions (whether in a garden or wild berries), youth grow when their needs are met. Youth with a sense of belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity grow. They grow together; they grow for one another; they grow in passions; they grow. 

https://www.cast.org/what-we-do/evidence/

Full Circle Friday - Lutherhill Ministries

7/25/2025

After a fantastic week preparing and presenting at the Reclaiming Youth at Risk conference in Sioux Falls, SD, we flew down to Texas to observe programming at Lutherhill Ministries in La Grange, TX. Although the heat and humidity were intense, this week of programming provided essential insights into youth personal growth and their sense of adventure. Programming at Lutherhill consisted of an onsite day camp for K-5 graders and a residential program for 3-8 graders. Diverse programming was available for youth to explore their passions and pursue new adventures. Lutherhill argues that youth should attend camp because they can experience a community that values both their individuality and interdependence with one another, laying the foundation for them to try new things. This approach closely aligns with the ideals of the Circle of Courage. Lutherhill embodies the reality that for youth to pursue adventure, they must feel safe first. As Dr. Steve Van Bockern writes in Schools That Matter, “Adventure and security are paired. Both are hard-wired into our humanness. In a sense, they need one another in order to operate as intended” (116). 

Belonging

When contemplating the integration of adventure into more schools, one of the first questions that comes to mind is, “How will we keep the students safe?” That is a valid concern, especially for parents who choose not to send their children to camp because of the potential risk to their child’s safety. However, when truly implementing the Circle of Courage, a culture of safety is inherently created when a sense of Belonging is strong. This culture of safety is prevalent at summer camps, and we can learn from them how to better create it in conjunction with adventure. 

When Belonging is strong, there is an automatic sense of safety that accompanies it. True Belonging does not tolerate bullying, harmful teasing, acts of aggression, or generally unsafe behaviors. When someone can say, “I am loved,” they know that those who love them would not put them in harm's way or allow them to harm another person. Dr. Martin Brokenleg and Dr. Larry Brendtro noted in their new book, Cultures of Respect, that “Humans are naturally motivated to build trusting bonds and care for one another.” Environments like these are imperative when beginning to foster a sense of adventure within students. 

Mastery

Kids balance security and adventure at camp. Youth managing this dichotomy is one of the most powerful learning experiences that camp presents. Because the environment is so secure and trusted, youth are oftentimes willing to push themselves to new levels. As described in Reclaiming Youth at Risk, “taking risks is essential for healthy growth and development” (71). Placing kids in positions where they feel as if they can take risks is transformative for their learning. When youth take risks, dopamine is released in their brain as they wait for the result to materialize. For adolescents specifically, they release more dopamine than adults and younger youth (“The Science Behind Adolescent Risk Taking”). Because of this, their brain is especially oriented toward experiential learning. To intensify this reality, peer presence has been shown to amplify dopamine release (“The Science Behind Adolescent Risk Taking”). Youth are actively learning how to regulate their risk-taking behavior, whether they are at home, at school, or at camp. We have observed that camp, more so than many other establishments, provides spaces for youth to build these skills while learning through success and failure. As Dr. Steve Van Bockern wrote, “We do not learn to cope with what is to come if we aren’t willing to take risks” (Schools That Matter). Providing space for youth to face risks builds resilience, but creating an environment where youth are passionate about taking risks to learn and grow builds courage. 

Youth build courage at camp. A particular camper this week was an outcast. This camper was slow to engage with peers. They were slow to take risks and try new things. Despite this, a persistent counselor worked hard to create a community around this camper. The camper began to take small risks: sitting next to a cabinmate, saying hello to an unknown staff member, and engaging in more conversations with their trusted counselor. These risks proved fruitful (verbal praise, new friendships, and dopamine releases), motivating the pursuit of more lofty goals. By the end of the week, this camper was engaging with youth in their cabin and beyond, telling jokes in front of the whole camp, and sharing opinions in large group settings. Because of camp, this camper is leaving more courageous, ready to take on the next challenge. 

Independence

Even though adventure is a human desire that everyone experiences, that desire is not one-size-fits-all. If someone were to imagine the concept of an adventure, they may envision themselves swimming with sharks, climbing a mountain, or paragliding in Peru. However, if someone else imagined the same concept, their visions of adventure might look more like going to the grocery store by themselves or taking a short drive to visit a friend. This is when having a secure sense of Independence is valuable. 

A true sense of Independence means that the child can say, “I have the power to make decisions.” It means that they can regulate their emotions enough to agree to and decline activities that they are comfortable with and uncomfortable with. At camp, this is called “challenge by choice.” Campers are not expected to jump straight into the deep end of the pool or climb up the rock wall the first time they try high ropes. However, counselors are constantly supporting campers in the pursuit of new skills. If a camper's idea of adventure is simply telling a joke to their cabin, their counselors will laugh the loudest. If their idea of adventure involves catching lizards, their counselors will teach them which lizards are safe to catch and how to treat them respectfully. Though a camper’s idea of adventure might mean they are embarking on a journey on their own, they are never alone; their counselors are always guiding and teaching them to ensure their safety. 

Generosity

When youth actively engage in diverse and new experiences, they begin to uncover what they enjoy doing. They determine their passions. They explore how their passions meet the needs of themselves, the community, and the world. In simpler terms, they begin uncovering their purpose. Youth must be engaged in a diverse array of experiences to uncover the adventures worth seeking. Youth working to uncover passions builds adults with purpose. Adventures at camp are often oriented around Generosity. At Lutherhill, campers are engaging in meaningful service learning. They have written letters to foster youth and participated in Lutherhill’s actions to support the flood relief efforts in the Kerr County area. Connecting campers to service initiatives allows them the opportunity to connect their passions with the needs of the world. Passions build purpose, but contributing to others builds purpose beyond one’s self. 

What if Schools Were More Like Camp?

Camp programs across the country face a myriad of challenges. One of the most difficult is finding affordable and quality insurance. This reality is due to the risk that camps face with their activity selection. There is a certain danger around high ropes, white water rafting, overnight camps, and various other activities. For schools to front this same risk may not be plausible, but it also may not be essential. As we have described, adventure isn’t just about high ropes. Adventure is different for every student. Uncovering adventure in schools is oriented around differentiating learning and providing real learning experiences. Although many of camp’s adventures can be directly translated into our schools—many cannot. We would also argue that many adventures in school cannot be translated into our camps. Camps don’t often dissect animals or practice chemical reactions; many don’t frequently engage youth in the community beyond the camp; most rarely build ensembles or teams that last beyond a week. Understanding youth, uncovering their adventure, and supporting them as they fail and succeed are essential in building schools oriented around the pursuit of fostering courageous youth. 

"The Science Behind Adolescent Risk Taking and Exploration." UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent, 2025, https://developingadolescent.semel.ucla.edu/topics/item/science-of-risk-taking.

Full Circle Friday - Reclaiming Youth Conference

7/18/2025 

This Thursday, the Courage of Camp team had the privilege of presenting at the 31st annual Reclaiming Youth at Risk conference held in Sioux Falls, SD. We are grateful to the event organizers and pioneers who continue to establish the Circle of Courage as a prominent framework for youth empowerment. Conference participants varied in age, experience, profession, and many other aspects. Despite differences, it was clear that there was a unified vision for better youth development centered around adequately meeting the universal growth needs of belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity. This conference marked a milestone for our team as we continue to explore the impact of camp programming and how we can establish the principles of camp in school settings. 

What if Schools Were More Like Camp?

Among the decorated attendees were the founders of the Circle of Courage, Dr. Larry Brendtro, Dr. Martin Brokenleg, and Dr. Steve Van Bockern. Their contributions to bettering education and social work continue to permeate throughout the Reclaiming Youth movement. Attendees came from across the world to continue to hear them speak about a better way forward and share how they are utilizing the Circle of Courage in their schools, offices, or organizations. In his book Schools That Matter, Dr. Steve Van Bockern explores a template for better schools oriented around the Circle of Courage. He specifically outlines six best practices that should be evident within a school. As we pause to reflect on our summer up to this point, we have taken a moment to reflect and align camp programming with these six best practices in mind. 

1. Creating a Non-threatening Learning Environment

Dr. Van Bockern describes the reality that trauma has on learning. It “hijacks” the brain, and normal development is affected. Ensuring that environments are built to support kids is essential. As he writes, “The strategies for helping these kids (kids with trauma) - providing safe surroundings, building relationships, and teaching self-regulation skills - are the very pillars that work to create non-threatening environments” (89). As we have observed throughout the summer, camp does an exceptional job of building relationships in safe environments. They also provide spaces for youth to explore their individual development of regulation skills. This established environment allows for transformative experiences and real learning to occur. 

2. Caring

Dr. Van Bockern opens his section on caring by establishing the reality that the only way to have a child work with you is to show them that you genuinely care. We had a rather impactful conversation with a camp volunteer during our time at Luther Heights. A popular belief held in youth development is the fact that every child is one caring adult away from being a success. She took it a step further. She contested that every child is one nonpaid adult away from being a success story. I couldn’t help but think of this very conversation as Mark Freado, founder of Growing Edge Training, gave his seminar at the Reclaiming Youth conference. He described his story and role in reclaiming a youth troubled with gang involvement. His continued support and involvement were not a paid endeavor, but may have been the effort that has led to that young gentleman's success story. Teachers are paid, but this does not change the reality that they can change the life of any student who walks through their classroom door. Genuine care starts with listening—let’s continue to open our ears and hearts. 

3. Clarifying

Listening segues directly into the next best practice of clarifying. If you don’t understand a challenge or problem, clarify until you do. As we reflect on our own experiences in school, we collectively believe that the most impactful educators were the ones who were willing to pause and truly understand what we were dealing with. 

4. Creating Solutions

Creating solutions should be a collaborative endeavor between youth and adults. We watched campers partake in dam building at camp. With a goal in mind, the entire team—campers and counselors alike—collaborated to achieve it. Observing the counselors in this setting continued to solidify the importance of what Dr. Van Bockern describes in his section on this best practice: “We (teachers) have to be open to the idea that the student’s solution might be better than the one we offer or think best” (97). We have observed that camps elevate student input and thought. This practice has been evidenced in our observations to not only create a better learning environment, but also a more dynamic set of outcomes during a week at camp. 

5. Learning Happening in Meaningful Contexts

Meaningful contexts elevate intrinsic motivation and limit the dreaded question of “Why does this stuff even matter?” Our time observing specialty programming at Flathead made the impact that a meaningful context for learning has on youth engagement and outcomes. To explore more on this topic, we highly recommend revisiting that Full Circle Friday. 

6. Enriched Social Environments

In Schools That Matter, Dr. Van Bockern highlights a few classroom strategies that support the enrichment of social environments: cooperative tests, jigsawing, think-pair-share, following up, allowing for student calling, modeling unpacking thinking, and encouraging students to unpack their thinking. These strategies specifically elevate deeper thinking and avoid establishing a gameshow-like classroom culture. He continues to indicate that establishing classroom rituals, celebrations, and rites can elevate social and emotional literacy. Camp does these exact things, and it is such a joy to watch kids grow in their social and emotional literacy. In a national study of summer camp programs, camp was linked to prominent social-emotional growth (Warner et al., 2021). This reality at camp starts with the dynamic social environments established within camp programs. 

We have been blessed with the opportunity to explore and observe these dynamic summer camp programs throughout the course of this summer. As we continue with our summer, we will take the lessons learned from our observations and continue to uncover how camp adequately meets these best practices for the application of the Circle of Courage in schools.

Full Circle Friday - Luther Heights Bible Camp

7/11/2025 

Our time at Luther Heights in Ketchum, ID, has come to an end. This wonderful camp is nestled within the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho. Its remote location, paired with its fantastic staff, provided us a unique opportunity to truly experience the Circle of Courage in action at camp. Throughout our time at Luther Heights, we observed a 3-night family camp and a 5-night youth camp. Both programs consisted of archery, canoeing, outdoor education, deep conversations, and so much more. Spending time with the magnificent staff at such a special place was a true gift. Luther Heights truly embodies the notion that everyone is welcome, and, through community, everyone is capable of growing and learning. 

Belonging

At camp, everyone is welcome. Upon first glance, this is a simple phrase that might not mean much to those who haven’t experienced a camp community. However, for those who have seen the magic of camp in action, this phrase transcends life experiences, educational backgrounds, attitudes, and so much more. 

We were blessed to have experienced this magic at Luther Heights. Before campers even arrived, counselors and staff were welcomed with open arms by the year-round leadership staff. They were accepted regardless of their educational background, which spanned from staff who were still in high school to staff with master's degrees. They were loved regardless of their life experiences, which, whether we like it or not, are carried with us no matter how far into the Sawtooth Mountains we climb. When we first met the staff at Luther Heights, we knew they were a special group of leaders, and we were excited to see them realize that potential. As we observed them working together throughout the week, they started to believe in their abilities more and more, which empowered them to create a strong sense of belonging for the campers as well. 

The community that was created at Luther Heights was strengthened by many factors. Counselors actively reached out to campers who seemed down or left out. Campers’ ideas were always genuinely honored and valued. The oldest campers who went on an overnight camping trip returned with a stronger sense of community than they had left with. The community was so strong that by the end of the week, the campers even requested a “Cook Parade” to thank their kitchen staff. Although communities like this are not easy to build, they remain one of the most vital aspects of both camps and schools to cultivate for the benefit of our children.

Mastery

The importance of cooperation within a community has also sparked quality conversations regarding the impact that competition can have within a learning environment. Although more effective than individualistic learning, competitive classrooms are still less effective than cooperative learning (Hattie, 2009). As John Hattie also notes in his publication, Visible Learning, competition and cooperation can coincide in a classroom. When these elements are combined, an enhanced learning environment emerges. For the successful implementation of competition within a cooperative classroom, a few key factors must be in place. Our time at camps, especially Luther Heights, has made this evident. Effective environments at camp that balance cooperation and competition elevate the individual journey to accomplish goals, consistently establish their sense of community and support for one another, deemphasize points and winning against one another, and consistently design learning with goals in mind. As youth participated in archery this week, you could sense that they felt a community with their peers and counselors in an embarrassment-proof space; they were focused on individual goals of hitting a bullseye or getting all ten arrows on the target; they naturally defined what their purpose and goals were in that space; most importantly, the emphasis was on individual progress—not out-scoring their peers. Camp is not always perfect, and competition occasionally supersedes cooperation. It is at these points that tensions rise and the focus is no longer on the activity at hand, but the competition itself. Continuing to reorient our classrooms and camps into a predominantly cooperative environment with individual competition will establish a true sense of mastery among youth. 

Independence

We had some great conversations with volunteers and staff throughout the ten days that we got to spend here at Luther Heights. One thing that has stuck with us was a conversation regarding equipping youth with skills. This conversation navigated both what skills were being acquired as well as how to foster these skills. It predominantly centered on skills that assist youth in their pursuit of lifelong learning. A key to reaching this point is resiliency and self-regulation. As we discuss with more parents and camp leaders, we are beginning to observe a concerning trend of learned helplessness among youth. In an era of instant gratification, youth struggle to persevere through something that doesn’t pan out perfectly right away. Resilience and perseverance are some of the biggest indicators of success. In his book, How Children Succeed, Paul Tough lays out his thesis that we are focusing on the wrong skills in youth development. He argues that we must begin to equip youth with skills surrounding self-control, perseverance, and self-regulation. These skills assist learners in their pursuit of self-managed growth. As the authors of Reclaiming Youth at Risk describe, teachers play a prominent role in the development of learners equipped with these skills. The CLEAR (Challenge, Logic, Emotion, Action, and Response) timeline outlined in their work provides a template for teachers to respond to youth emotions while providing language for youth to be equipped with language to pursue their self-regulation skills. When a youth is presented with a challenging scenario, their brain naturally responds with logic and emotions, prompting them to act. The response provided by teachers is critical. We must continue to respond with grace and understanding as we equip youth with self-regulation skills. 

Generosity

When living in a community as tightly knit as camp, the purpose of the group is usually at the forefront of its members’ minds. This week, the purpose at the forefront of the campers’ minds at Luther Heights was the concept of community stewardship, which included LNT, or Leave No Trace. Each day, the campers learned more and more about how and why to be good stewards of the community around them. These concepts were taught through games, through short sessions of direct instruction, and, most prominently, through real-life application. There were friendly competitions for little prizes to see which cabin group could pick up the most pieces of trash in a day, along with other small tasks. The biggest prize, however, was the coveted “Cabin Cup.” This prize was presented to the cabin that had the biggest positive impact on the camp as a whole throughout the week. Points were allotted to cabins based on their ability to treat shared spaces with respect, doing the right thing when no one is watching, and, of course, living out the principles of LNT. 

The prizes driving campers’ motivations for being a good steward of the Luther Heights community could technically be categorized as PBIS, or Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. In some systems where PBIS is used, it becomes a way to “train” kids to exhibit desired behaviors when given a desired stimulus, like candy or free time. At Luther Heights, however, the motivation for exhibiting the desired behaviors of good stewardship was community-focused rather than individually focused. Campers didn’t want to pick up trash just because they would get a prize; instead, they picked up trash because it was a way to show their learning about LNT and give back to the community they were a part of. In doing so, campers were fulfilling their purpose for the week, and they became increasingly excited for that opportunity. PBIS can have really negative effects on children, keeping them low on Lawrence Kohlberg’s 6 Stages of Moral Development. However, if it’s carefully and intentionally used in balance with intrinsic motivation, almost as a stepping stone to higher morals, we can help youth begin to uncover what it means to do something simply because it is the right thing to do. 

What if Schools Were More Like Camp?

Throughout each week we have spent at camp, the immense power and importance of a community has been continuously revealed to us. When a secure community is established, youth feel empowered to tackle individual goals and push themselves. They feel like they can start to regulate their own learning in a supported environment. At the start of a week, youth are wary to take risks and persevere through challenges. Towards the end of this week at Luther Heights, the youth were opening up to their counselors and with each other and begging to sleep under the stars. Establishing environments centered around community provide the frameworks for youth to grow in their ability to persevere and self-regulate their learning. Establishing a community like the one felt this week at Luther Heights was the role of the entire staff. This focus on community helps make camp feel like a home away from home for everyone there, from leaders, to kitchen staff, to counselors, to campers. The best schools create this “home away from home” feeling as well. Let’s work together to more intentionally transform our schools into second homes for our students, teachers, and administrators, because at home, everyone is welcome.

Full Circle Friday - Family Camp

7/4/2025 

Family camps play a pivotal role in summer programming offered at most camps. These programs bring together families of all shapes and sizes to cherish camp and community. This week, we have had the pleasure of witnessing the beginning of a family camp at FLBC in Lakeside, MT, and Luther Heights in Ketchum, ID. We took time to ask a few families why they were at camp. The typical answer centered around getting away and unplugging, but one answer stuck with us: “There is something about this community.” Camp is such a special place for so many people because of the connections that are formed here. These connections foster deep conversations and promote lifelong learning within the community. Campers at Luther Heights, FLBC, and anywhere else love to return and reignite connections with families from prior years because, at family camp, everyone is family.

Belonging:

One of the most important aspects of camp programming is the genuine community that is formed between participants. This is no different for family camps. Families love to say that they are raising their children in a community for a week. The established culture of respect takes time and effort from families to build sustained trust and genuine care for one another. We have once seen a family from a persecuted nation join a well-established family camp. What was an uncomfortable position for that family, quickly turned into a more diverse community as other adult figures established trusting relationships with the parents and their kids. The authors of Reclaiming Youth at Risk share that the biggest factor in school success is trust. This trust flows between youth and adults, among peers, and across generations. When a culture of respect is built at camp, trust flourishes, and intergenerational learning can begin to take place. Youth are willing to learn from the seniors at camp, and seniors are even willing to learn from the youth. There is something beautiful within that sentiment. When that sense of belonging is strong, participants feel safe enough to try new things and develop skills alongside others. 

Mastery:

There are long-standing traditions at every camp we visit; some camps produce a Passion Play, some camps put on talent shows, and some camps even make lefse together. Lefse is a traditional Norwegian soft flatbread made from potatoes, butter, and flour. At one camp in particular, the process of making lefse is a chance for generations to gather around the lefse griddle between swimming, tie-dyeing, and other fun camp activities to share the experience of this age-old tradition. 

A true sense of mastery is best described as pursuing personal and collective goals rather than pursuing superiority over others. Many camps cultivate this sense of achievement through intergenerational teaching and learning, and it’s especially prominent when lefse is involved at a family camp. Potatoes have to be peeled, boiled, and riced before being measured and mixed into dough. The dough has to chill, then be cut into logs and patties of equal sizes before being rolled and grilled with traditional lefse supplies. As you can see, lefse requires the strength, knowledge, and equipment of many different people to become a reality. At family camp, generations of every age and skill set are involved. The strongest people will usually help with ricing the potatoes, and those with the greatest attention to detail will teach others how to roll the dough. Grandmothers are usually manning the griddles, making sure young children don’t burn themselves, and grandfathers are always nearby to show them how to spread the perfect ratio of butter and sugar onto their finished product. Intergenerational wisdom is prevalent even down to the recipes and equipment used. The sense of mastery established at family camp is more than just making lefse. It’s about being willing to learn from those older and younger than you to achieve a collective goal rather than striving to be better than others. 

Independence:

True independence is a balance between freedom and responsibility. By establishing a culture of respect, youth and adults alike feel responsible for one another as they explore new activities, games, and challenges. Intergenerational communities of learning help to support youth as they uncover what their calling is in the world. Youth explore what it means to have a responsibility to one another. They also explore what they are good at and care deeply about. Intergenerational learning allows adults to pass wisdom onto youth as they explore their calling through self-exploration. This culture isn’t about adults controlling youth but about adults guiding youth while letting them have their own genuine experiences. 

Generosity:

Learning from the greater community can add purpose to a learner’s experience. When youth learn how to make lefse from trusted adults, there is a sense of purpose and desire to carry on the torch behind that learning. You see this at family camp as youth want to learn the songs their parents sing, learn how to set up a tent with their families and learn how to canoe with their grandparents. Connecting learners with wise adults can lead to transformative educational experiences that provide purpose for one’s learning. I heard a story about a high school algebra class doing experiential learning for a local food bank. This class practiced algebra in action while helping balance spreadsheets for a nonprofit. The students were brought into this community initiative and saw its operation for themselves. Although they certainly got a great math lesson, many youths got something more. Now that they were connected, some students took it as an opportunity to serve within their community. Others even got their families to apply for and receive services for which they didn’t even realize they qualified. Students are not going hungry and know a little more math because of this lesson that connected them with adult leaders within their community. By connecting with community partners, schools can build a greater community of support around the school building, create lasting connections for students, and leverage the true power of intergenerational learning. 

What if Schools Were More Like Camp?

Intergenerational learning and community partnerships take effort to establish. When a culture of trust and respect is established within a classroom, those students begin to experiment with how their skills can benefit their community. At camp, these skills may be the strongest hands for ricing potatoes or the best voice for leading songs, but at schools, these discovered skills can go much deeper. By providing spaces for youth to learn from local mechanics, chefs, healthcare workers, chemists, teachers, and so much more, they can begin to appreciate the work that others do as well as what their vocation may be. By connecting youth with adults in the community, a purpose is aligned with learning, and someone's family may even get to eat supper because of it.

Full Circle Friday - Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp

6/27/2025

Our week observing Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp (FLBC) in Lakeside, MT, has come to a close. We greatly appreciate their hospitality and willingness to be a part of our inaugural summer. This week flew by in the blink of an eye. From Sunday to Friday, campers were participating in FLBC’s specialty programming. Programs offered this week included choir, drama, art, basketball, ranching, cooking, high adventure, staff-in-training, and day camps offered at two locations throughout Montana. This diverse array of programming allowed us to observe the Circle of Courage in various ways. Campers experienced a community built on the principles of belonging, independence, mastery, and generosity. This week has consistently reminded us of the importance of uniting learners with meaningful summative goals. Campers and staff grew in various ways in five days. They increased their self-control and decision-making skills; they grew in interest areas; they contributed their talents to the community; and they established an unforgettable community of learners. 

Independence: 

Genuine choice is sometimes restricted in youth development. A popular theory for the development of autonomy is the “Let Them” theory developed by Mel Robbins. This theory is centered around the principle that by letting go of the desire to control others, we can continue to develop our self-regulation and confidence. Robbins claims that by limiting our focus on external factors, we can better control ourselves. The Circle of Courage emphasizes these exact philosophies. A sense of independence is essential for adults as well as youth. By creating spaces for genuine autonomy, youth grow in their ability to self-regulate and in their self-confidence. Campers step away from their parents for this entire week in a safe and controlled environment. Camp frameworks are oriented to allow campers to explore their independence through the “Let Them” principle. This week, campers were a part of selecting their program specialty, they chose what they would eat, they decided what they would do, and they selected what afternoon activities interested them. With ensured safety, camp lets youth explore their interests and passions in ways that expand their independence while growing in interdependence with others. 

Mastery: 

The third-century Confucian philosopher, Xunzi, successfully depicted how mastery is cultivated at FLBC by saying, “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” Every camper this week was provided numerous opportunities to not only hear or see, but actually do the activities and tasks they were learning about—in a relevant way. John Dewey, an educational reformer, believes that since our brains demand relevance, the most powerful type of learning is experiential (Experience and Education). At FLBC, art campers put on an art show; choir campers had a concert; the theater campers performed the Passion Play; the cooking campers had a tea party; the basketball campers had a scrimmage; the ranch campers took the longest ride they had gone on that week. Each camper dove deeper into their specialty by actually doing it in a relevant way. Furthermore, this learning was sequenced in an effective way that culminated in these collective goals. This is how mastery should be cultivated in any space where learning is meant to happen. 

Generosity: 

The activities and events that concluded specialty programs mattered. That reality cannot be understated. The theatre campers performed for the greater community of the Flathead Lake area. The choir sang for an audience. The cooking camp invited dozens to their tea party. This tea party required serious effort and learning from the campers in the program. They designed the decorations, selected the tea, baked muffins and other treats, and one camper even designed a game for the party. As they hosted their party for their “esteemed” guests, they signed everyone in and welcomed everyone with smiles from ear to ear. This learning experience was transformative for these campers. Several campers said the tea party was the best part of their week, surprising even themselves, given how much work it required. Reflecting on that experience, we can’t help but laugh about this reality. Campers said that hosting a tea party, which required serious effort (serving, creating, hosting, etc.), was better than swimming, games, and various other activities. This is because this learning was meaningful and contributed to their community for that week. Their innate need to be generous was being met. Each camper was given the chance to say, “I have purpose for my life.” 

Belonging: 

As the week came to a close, it was more obvious than ever that the campers of all ages, counselors, and staff at FLBC had created a vast network of support and love in only five days. A huge part of why this happened was simply because of the nature of this week's programming. Each program consisted of campers from ages 7 to 18, and each cabin was made up of campers from every program. Campers spent around five hours each day with their programs, then the rest of the time with their cabin groups. This intentional community building within groups of different ages and within groups of different interests created a sense of community for campers, no matter who they were with. The Lakota educator, novelist, and anthropologist, Ella Deloria, once said, “Be related, somehow, to everyone you know.” FLBC ensured that every camper, counselor, volunteer, and staff member is related, somehow, to every person at camp. Like many other camps, this sense of belonging fosters a community that transforms the lives of everyone who walks through camp. 

What if Schools Were More Like Camp?:

Our time at FLBC reminded us that when youth are living within the Circle of Courage, they are well. The choir camp worked together all week to put on a concert today. One song kept circling back to a powerful lyric that embodies camp—”I’m free to be me.” We have heard them rehearse this song throughout the course of the week, but there was something truly touching about watching them perform it at a concert in front of their families. Looking at the risers, vocalists included such a diverse array of musicians. The choir included campers of all ages, volunteers well into their golden years, vocalists with various experience and talent, and everything else in between. It made us think back to their rehearsals. This choir and this camp became a community where everyone truly felt like they were free to be themselves. Through common endeavors that united specialty programs and various activities and learning opportunities that inspired community building, the campers at FLBC were living within the circle. The truth is that many educators are incredible connectors—it is why they pursue the profession in the first place. We must continue to empower educators to build community in their classrooms. We need to just “Let Them” teach. Beyond this, we must continue to emphasize learning opportunities that connect youth to their community through meaningful initiatives. Through this, students will be transformed by genuine independence, generosity, mastery, and belonging.

Full Circle Friday - Outlaw Ranch

6/20/2025

Our first observation week has come to a close in Custer, SD. After each week, we will be releasing a blog post entitled “Full-Circle Friday.” This post will describe how the Circle of Courage was effectively used at camp that week and the transformation observed in campers.

Belonging:

As we arrived at Outlaw Ranch, we noticed a sign that specifically welcomed us into the space. Looking around, it became clear that decorations were already up for campers as well. These decorations allowed campers to know that they were welcome in this space. On the first day, campers were welcomed into a new community that would be their community for a week. Names were quickly learned, and genuine interest in one another was fostered through intentional activities and positive mentorship. The ideal for belonging can be summed up in two words. People belong when they can simply be. Throughout the week, it was evident that the campers at Outlaw Ranch were simply being with one another. They were in a community that encouraged genuineness and supported each other. At camp, youth experience a deep sense of care and interdependence that they may not encounter as much in school. The truth is that having a space where a camper or student can say “I am loved” is transformative to their educational experiences. If youth are not worried about who they are sitting by or who even likes them, they can focus on their goals and passions. We discussed throughout our trainings that the one word that resonated the most with middle schoolers on their experience in school was “lonely.” It is heartbreaking that youth feel that way in our schools. Schools, in their entirety, must be diligently building genuine community throughout the building. In his book, Schools That Matter: Teaching the Mind, Reaching the Heart, Dr. Steve Van Bockern wrote that schools should be “intentional about connecting students in positive relationships with healthy, loving adults and other youth,” and there should be, “abundant language used to create a culture of connection” in schools as well (25). At closing worship, as the inevitable goodbye approached, campers began to cry, knowing that the community they had felt this week wouldn’t be coming with them. Through the week, some campers expressed their disinterest in school, the bullying they face, and, heartbreakingly, the teachers who view them as lost children. These exact campers often shine at summer camp because they are given a community that cares for them and a purpose for their lives, for at least this one week. 

Generosity:

One of the most impactful stories we heard from a camper this week was his journey in raising funds for Outlaw Ranch. This story was a testament to the capabilities of teenagers when given reins to create an impact for something they are passionate about. He expressed his desire to have more purpose in school, and that camp provides him with purpose—at least for a week. Imagine if a school community inspired all of its students to give back to their greater community. Imagine the connections that this will create between the community and the school. Providing space for youth to practice genuine altruism is one of the reasons that camp is so impactful. Leveraging local communities as schools can lead to revolutionary lessons that provide an avenue for youth to give back. 

Independence: 

Autonomy is at the heart of camp programming. Youth are managing so much of their daily lives that they may not be responsible for themselves at home. This reality in a supported community allows youth to grow in independence and self-regulation. Campers' ability to self-regulate was noticed this week. Various campers this week were put in places that challenged them. Through frustration, we saw campers practice breathing exercises, advocating for mental breaks, and establishing routines for themselves. When youth practice these skills, they grow in their ability to do them in other settings. Youth have a voice at camp, and that allows them to grow and be challenged. 

Mastery: 

Throughout the week, we saw growth from all campers. This growth occurs in various settings. For some, the growth came while riding horses. The growth came for others while canoeing or fishing. Some campers stretched themselves by participating in the variety show. Many stretched their social skills. The environment that was formed here throughout the week provided a safe learning environment where campers felt comfortable taking risks and growing. Campers felt success in their pursuit of individual goals this week. We could tell as they left camp today that they are motivated to feel more success like that. 

What if Schools were like Camp?: 

Youth who attended Outlaw Ranch this week will inevitably go back to the typical rhythm of their lives, but they will be changed for the better due to the growth felt at Outlaw Ranch. It does make us wonder, however, what if school created a community just as impactful? What if schools challenged students to reach individual goals over dominance? What if youth were given genuine relationships built on trust and autonomy? How would that revolutionize who they are outside of camp? When youth live inside the Circle of Courage, they are well; furthermore, they are ready to grow and contribute to the community around them. We must ensure that we build spaces—like Outlaw Ranch—where this can actively happen.