School vs. Summer

After Obama's idea of extending the school year (and school day, and school week) was announced, conversation has begun about the possible effects of that plan. Clearly there is a lot to consider when discussing this possibility--this change would cost money in addition to potentially hurting the economy, and there is no guarantee that it would change much of anything in regards to learning.

As I've read blog posts and articles about this, I've been thinking about it from two different perspectives. The first is as someone who works in the camp industry. The school year changing would have a very direct effect on my life, as it would affect my job.

The second perspective I've been thinking about it from is as someone who was a student not too long ago. Being only a year out of college, my school days are still pretty fresh on my mind and I definitely have an opinion on the education system.

From both perspectives--I am completely opposed to the idea of the school year being extended. I believe in learning, and think it is an incredibly important thing, but I don't think that the possible contributions of the school year being extended are worth the things that it would take away.

Summer camp is an 150 year old tradition in America, and generations of kids have grown up with summer camp as an important and valuable part of their education. Camp teaches so much more than just the activities that kids participate in. Camp allows kids to learn by doing, to experience the world in a very different capacity than in a classroom. Campers learn valuable social and life skills, in addition to broadening their horizons by doing all kinds of things they wouldn't otherwise be able to experience.

I was lucky enough to attend a liberal arts university that highly valued experiential education, and the two experiences I learned the most from during my college years were my internship--done at summer camp, and a month long study abroad program where we traveled through Europe and studied cathedrals. But not many schools, especially before the college level, have the resources to offer those kinds of experiences to their students, and the extension of the school year could take away the opportunity for children to participate in all kind of experiential learning opportunities outside of school--whether it be summer camp, traveling, summer enrichment programs, or just playing outside.

As I think back to my childhood, summers filled with days at the pool, weeks at camp, playing in the creek, and exploring the woods by my neighborhood are what fill my memory. Those experiences shaped me and taught me just as much, if not more, than the countless hours I spent sitting in a classroom, and I hate to think that today's kids might think back to summer and it be just more of the same... sitting in a classroom, staring at a clock, waiting for the bell to ring.