Unique environmental camp blends teaching with character-building

By Julia Boyle
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

While flying high on a ropes course over the Chesapeake Bay, trekking through a wetland, or canoeing along the shore, kids across Maryland are not only learning about the environment but also how to apply its lessons to their lives.

And it’s working. In only its second year of operation, NorthBay, a $33 million environmental education center and camp located at the northern end of the Chesapeake Bay, has garnered enthusiastic support from Maryland students, teachers, and education leaders. Not only do campers have a great time getting messy and experiencing hands-on science, it’s translating to the classroom.

Maryland schools on board
“The kids absolutely love it, and they have been able to bring back an understanding of what they learned at NorthBay to the classroom,” says Rose Greer, acting instructional coordinator for science in Cecil County, Md., public schools. “Their experience gives them a good sense of environmental study and how to relate that to character education.”

The county’s team of educators works directly with NorthBay and the Maryland State Department of Education to integrate the camp’s program into the classroom.

“Many of our teachers participated in writing preand post-trip lessons in conjunction with NorthBay. We want this to be an ongoing experience for our students and not something they forget,” she says.

The educators and developers behind NorthBay intentionally crafted the program to do just that. “Everything that we do here is very intentional to have a huge effect on our students because it’s based on research,” says Keith Williams, educational director of NorthBay.