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At Langley Middle School every 8th grade Adventure Education class has the opportunity to participate in a full day at the Island County Ropes/Challenge Course. The course is used by our class to prepare us for a week long sailing expedition through the San Juan Island. Rather than writing about my classes sailing trip which I very well could do I’d like to instead recognize the Ropes/Challenge Program for it’s part in readying us all for what lay ahead, in our wildlife experience.
The Island County Ropes/Challenge Program was built in 1992; it was created with funding from the Washington State Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse. It was created with hopes of strengthening positive community assets and to help youth and adults of Island County make healthy choices. Altogether the programs premiere purpose is to give people a chance to enhance their life skills.
On our visit to the course we were all filled with anticipation, this being the first day of our five day trip. When we reached the course we each received a safety helmet we were told not to remove unless told to by a leader. As one large group we played some name games to get acquainted with one another. We played many fun games but one that sticks out in my memory was called Circle of Faith. Everyone formed a large standing circle, then we all grabbed on to a rope also tied in a circle. When the instructor told us to we all leaned back in a squatting position, without strain because the whole group was working to hold each other up. By late morning our class was split in half. We took part in many challenges all of which focused on communication, support, and trust and as the instructors emphasized widening your horizons. Before a person was allowed to take part in an activity they would state “My name is _________, I choose to do this, and will you support me?” When the group felt they could support the person in the activity they would in unison respond with a resounding “Yes!” It was then and only then a person could take part in one of the more difficult challenges. One of these challenges was called the Power Pole. A person straps on the harness and climbs up the 35 foot pole, stands on top and when ready jumps for the hanging trapeze. Weather you successfully grasp the trapeze or just make it two steps up the wobbly pole you come away feeling like you’ve accomplished something, even if you’ve been there more then a few times the ropes course is still enjoyable. Before loading the bus and heading off to our campsite to start our week trip, as a group we took time to reflect on the day. But for our class we also took the time to talk about what we hoped to get out of our trip.
Our week of sailing defiantly tested the skills we had just exercised at the course. It was a blast but it also gave up a chance to further our talents in a hand on environment. In every activity we took part in, communication, support and trust were huge factors. The same aspects we had focused so hard on at the ropes course. As a class we could have made it with out the ropes course but it would be much harder, and we would have missed out on a really great experience that we all benefited from in one form or another.
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