AW Core Principles
From WildWiki
In order to create more meaning on all courses (frames create meaning), there are several core principles that we believe resonate throughout the EC wilderness experiences. These can be framed perhaps as queries or as actual principles or learning objectives in the more traditional sense. These five areas, combined with the required First 72 Hour Lessons become to core objectives for almost any experience with the Wilderness Program at Earlham. Instructors are encouraged to deliberate and plan on how curriculum meets these objectives or learning goals.
Some Tools:
Useful Meaning Making Activities
Core Principles
1. Adventuresome Spirit
Viewing obstacles as challenges to be overcome. Actively seeking out opportunities to learn and to push oneself outside the "comfort zone." Living life in a "positive state of non-expectancy"- allowing for appreciation of the "trail magic" that can come from being present and aware of the adventuresome potential of each moment.
Taking the time to learn how to build a fire in the rain can be seen as living out this principle. So can pushing yourself to hike further or paddle longer than you thought you could. Having a difficult and uncomfortable talk with a tent or tarp mate can be seen as practicing the adventuresome spirit as can keeping a natural history journal of the wildflowers you see.
Queries: How do I approach challenges in my life? What resources and support do I draw from? What have I learned about myself that will help me as I appraoch future challenges and obstacles? What gives me energy in my life? What takes it away? How can I take charge of my own learning and engagement?
2. Sense of Place
A connection to the land we are travelling through such that we are not just tourists or passersby but, rather, we become changed by our relationship with the land and its stories. As modern life increasingly separates us from such relationships, the principle of gaining a "sense of place" on August Wilderness reminds us that this value is critical toward the creation of a personal and a larger community-based environmental ethic.
Learning about the flora, fauna, and ecology of the natural areas you travel through can help gain a deeper sense of place as can reading about and listening to the cultural histories, narratives, and stories of the region. Aldo Leopold called this type of educational practice a pedagogy of place.
Queries: How am I acting respectfully in this place? Am I doing all that I can to preserve the natural environment? Am I conscious of my impact on this place both ecologically and aesthetically? In what ways am I giving back to this place? Am I attentive to, and respectful of, the variety of people and cultures that live in and travel through this place? Are there things that I can learn from them and the way that they view and interact with this place?
3.Servant Leadership
We often think of leadership as "leading from the front." This is called Directive Leadership. Yet, on this course, you'll learn about the mutiple ways we lead beyond Directive. We will also explore the idea of Servant Leadership. Servant leadership is defined as the ability to think of others through the acquired skills of listening, observation, awareness, empathy, acceptance, and foresight. It is the difference between caring "about" something or someone and "caring for" it. It is an active behavior that happens in lots of little ways. A servant leader constantly thinks of ways to help his or her group in small and big ways. A servant leader is also aware of "giving back" in small and big ways to the people and the places he or she experiences. Finally, a servant leader understands that knowledge and experiences acquired have moral consequences and leaves changed as well as committed to working toward putting that change into service.
This course is not a guided experience (and nor, for that matter, is your life). Kurt Hahn once wrote "You are crew, not passengers. Let the responsible boys and girls shoulder duties big enough, when negligently preformed, to wreck the State." In order for us to make the most out of the experience both individually and collectively, we must see our roles on the journey as an active crew members and not as a passive passengers. What is the difference? Crew members see themselves as integral to the functioning of the "ship" and actively fill a variety of roles to help sustain the group and give it energy to press on. This positive stance is sometimes called expeditionary behavior. Passengers do not contribute much, waiting for others to tell them what to do and expecting "someone else" to meet their needs. Crew members understand that they have both rights and responsibilities within the group and actively communicate their feelings to others to help in the decision making processes. Passengers tend to only think about their "rights" and assume "someone else" will take up the needed responsibilties. Finally, crew members recognize that there are a variety of roles to play on the "ship" and they appreciate the diverse talents, skills, and abilities of each member of the crew for what they bring and how they help keep the ship "afloat." Passengers believe they are entitled to being comfortable and are not interested in reaching out to learn from and better understand their felllow travellers.
We often think of the servant in a negative light in the same way we think of the word "surrender" in a negative light. But, how can we "surrender to win"? How can we lead by being of service? How can we let go of outcomes and the expectation that someone is "supposed" to lead? Robert Frost speaks of this in his poem Directive where he turns the idea of "Directive" leadership on its head. Why would we want a guide who at heart only wants to make us feel more lost? Perhaps it is only when we let ourselves be "lost" that we find ourselves. This is at the heart of the Quaker process of consensus.
Waking up early and making everyone breakfast eventhough it is not your turn or job is an act of servant leadership. Thinking about being a good "follower" and what that entails is an act of servant leadership. Speaking up when you don't feel comfortable about what is happening is an act of servant leadership. Being aware of the personality you bring to the group- your strengths, challenges, and areas for improvement is an act of servant leadership. Finally, thinking about how you might put your learnings and experiences from this course into action is an act of servant leadership.
Queries: What have I done today to make this experience better for my fellow crew? Have I viewed my fellow travellers in the best possible light, seeking to appreciate their unique talents, skills, and abilities? Do I tend to act as a crew member or a passenger in other areas of my life? What new attitudes can I practice here that may help me as I transition into college? How can I be of service today? What does the group need from me today to function in the best way we can? What styles of leadership am I most comfortable with? Which styles do I need to practice more? How can I be a good follower? How can I put what I am learning on this course into action in my life?
4. The Contemplative Spirit
Kurt Hahn, the founder of Outward Bound and one of the central figures in the field of outdoor and experiential education created the 7 Laws of Salem which were his goals for operating his first school in England. One of his 7 laws was to "provide periods of silence, following the great precedent of the Quakers. Unless the present day generation acquires early habits of quiet and reflection, it will be speedily and prematurely used up by the nerve-exhausting and distracting civilization of today." Hahn wrote that in the 1920's. The art of contemplation and reflection is what brings meaning to our lives. It is also fundamental to the kind of deep and rigorous observation and scholarship we value at Earlham.
On course, there will be many opportunities to practice the contemplative spirit.There will be "small" moments, for example, it is common to begin major meals with a moment of silence. There will also be "larger" ones like silent paddles and hikes, reflective solo's, and observation activities. August Wilderness is an opportunity to delve deeper into the spirit of contemplation to see what it may bring to your life on the cusp of this major transition to college.
Queries: How much time do we dedicate to relfection, contemplation, and purposive observation in the "frontcountry"? What gets in the way? How can I make the most of opportunities while on August Wilderness? What role does quiet and silence play in my life now? What role would I like it to play?
5. Simplicity
Simplicity and simple living is comprised of two parts: inward simplicity and outward simplicity. The two are, of course, connected. Inward simplciity can be defined by the priorities and goals that you have in your life and how you make decisions about them. Outward simplicity is how you manifest those priorities and goals to the world. This course is all about simple living- both inwardly and outwardly. You will carry everything you need on your back or in your canoe. You will eat simply but heartily. You will have a minimum of possessions and "modern" distractions. This outward simplicity, we hope, will encourage inward simplicity- allowing you to reflect on what is truly important to you and how you want to go about "walking joyfully on this earth" as George Fox, founder of the Religious Society of Friends" once famously said.
On course, you can practice outward simplicity by minimizing your reliance on "extraneous" things such as watches, fancy gear and gizmos, and expensive possessions. You can also practice inward simplicity by narrowing your focus and attention to the things that are most important and of value to you. Learn how to perform the perfect "J-Stroke" or for baking bread. Slow down. Take your time. Make sure that whatever you do, you do it well (what we call in "good style"). Practicing these skills of simplicity can help you re-calibrate what you spend your time on and what is most important to you.
Queries: What are the three most important "things" in my life? What are my priorities? How do I want to live? What does it mean to me to "live simply"? Is this something that I want to value in the frontcountry? If so, why? If not, why not?
