This past fall semester, I did something that was well beyond my comfort zone. I packed my bags, left school for a week, and embarked on an adventure where I had no idea what to expect.

No, this wasn’t some glorious vacation or study abroad opportunity that would result in me flooding Instagram with beautiful pictures and memories. In fact, this opportunity left me unplugged from Instagram and pretty much anything else on my phone for a week because we were camping, in the woods, without cell service, and with 70 fifth graders.

All Penn State students have the opportunity to experience this magic known as Outdoor School as a camp counselor, which is offered through Penn State’s environmental center, Shaver’s Creek.

Outdoor School started in 1956, and the general format of the program hasn’t changed much since then. It’s stayed true to its roots and its focus on providing enhancing, immersive, and unique educational opportunities in nature for Penn State students and those children in the neighboring communities. On top of those missions, you’re guaranteed to have fun while doing it.

The program began through efforts of the College of Education, and in the 1970s it moved to the Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism Management (RPTM). Finally, in 1980 Shaver’s Creek took over the major management role of running the program.

“Outdoor School is a hands-on and positive outdoor experience for school children, and for college students,” Outdoor School program director Ellen Will said. “So for the college students, they take this class, and the field-based portion is being a counselor for a week where you get to actually teach and mentor.”

Although I participated as an education major to gain some teaching experience, there are no restrictions on which majors students must fall under in order to be a counselor. The benefits are endless for all students involved.

“It’s a leadership development opportunity. So you will gain intangible skills that you’re not getting in the classroom. In your regular classes you’re getting knowledge, maybe technical skills, or methodology,” Will said. “But all the interpersonal skills that employers are looking for you don’t necessarily get those just from sitting in the classroom.”

Tommy Butler, nature name Equinox and a class of 2019 graduate, was a broadcast journalism major who was a counselor numerous times and now is an intern for Shaver’s Creek.

“Not only is the community more tight-knit than anything I’ve ever experienced right off the bat, but it ended up being a really informative experience for me,” Butler said. “I did it four times as a student, and now I do it for a living.”

There are certain moments that counselors experience during their week at Outdoor School that will last with them forever. For me, it was that night mid-way through the week when one particularly emotional, and homesick girl didn’t feel so sad anymore because she was having so much fun at camp.

Megan McCarthy, nature name Catalpa, is also a 2019 Penn State graduate and an intern at Shaver’s Creek. For her, that Outdoor School “magic moment” also came from an interaction with a student.

“Last semester I had a student who was having a hard time during the day and after talking with her I found out that she was being bullied a bit in school, and she was worried that I was there to get other people in trouble,” McCarthy said. “But as a mentor that’s not our goal. Our goal is to help the students thrive. I was able to help her talk about her interests and how that could help her make friends, which was just a really beautiful moment.”

It’s important to note, however, that the emotional and mental benefits almost always transfers between campers and counselors.

Prior to leaving, I was so nervous about what the week would entail I even cried to my mom and roommate numerous times about it. However, when driving back to State College at the end of the week I have never been more proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone and completing this huge task.

“Between our dependence on technology, and our lack of exposure to nature, and the anxiety that college students are feeling about this pressure to be done, I think those three things are combining to have a really negative effect on our mental health,” Will said. “So it may seem counterintuitive for these stressed-out students to miss a week of class to participate in outdoor school, yet, they will likely find it to be restorative for their mental health. They’ll feel better afterward.”

For students, they receive other benefits specifically on the academic front because the program counts as a two-credit class, as well as 75 hours of community service. They are excused from classes for a week as a course with a fieldwork intensive portion, and truly get to unplug, tune in to nature, and just be.

Outdoor School is still accepting applications for the 2020 Spring Semester. They close on Friday, February 7, but the program will continue accepting applications until all positions are filled. Students chosen will be required to attend two training sessions, one on February 19 and a second on March 24.

If the opportunity to get dressed in crazy costumes like this isn’t enough motivation, I don’t know what is.