Each year, sixth grade students spend a week in the San Bernardino Mountains hiking, exploring, and observing nature. While there, they are exposed to hands-on lessons in biology, geology, and ecology that enrich the sixth grade science curriculum. While the experience is highly educational, students also gain the opportunity to meet sixth graders from other school communities and develop rich friendships with their peers.

Throughout the week, students have the opportunity to walk alongside expert instructors and classroom teachers, learning about the wilderness that surrounds them. During the wildlife biology hike, students learned about different types of ecosystems and even participated in a bug hunt in which they studied multiple species of insects. Later in the hike, students explored Creekside's miraculous museum, studied fossils and furs, and were lucky enough to learn about and interact with various rosy boas, a tarantula, and the cuddly chinchilla Andre. For their geology and ecology hikes, students analyzed the mountainous site through gold panning, rock hammering, and identifying minerals using magnets. Additionally, they studied many topics covered in their science classes, including plate tectonics and the water cycle. It certainly was a week of learning about and engaging with nature!

In addition to their educational experience, students received many opportunities to interact with and get to know their peers. Each and every day, campers gathered for discovery hikes, science sessions, and other hands on activities which allowed them to learn and play. Some students exclaimed their favorite moments included: Skit Night, the astronomy hike, and their science sessions. During Skit Night, cabin groups prepared environmental awareness skits to teach their peers about how to take care of our Earth. Luckily, while observing the stars for their astronomy hike, students were fortunate enough to witness the International Space Station orbiting above. Lastly, campers gained hands on experience during science sessions by building bridges, testing their senses, tracking wildlife, and so on.

The camaraderie gained through the five day experience was enough to last a lifetime. While each and every student learned more about the world in which they live, they also developed strong friendships and lasting memories. Outdoor Science School provided an experience unmatched for Fairmont's sixth graders!