Seventh Grade Canoe Trip

The canoe trips have been a signature program in the Middle School for over 40 years. The seventh grade canoe trip’s placement at the beginning of the school year is intentional, as this trip is often a formative experience for students, resulting in deeper relationships with peers and faculty, an increased sense of self-confidence, and a belief in their ability to overcome obstacles both individually and as a group. This trip is also an integral component of community building as they enter their seventh grade year. 

Led by Director of Outdoor Education Chris-Henwood Costa and several Middle School faculty, the group paddles a section of the Delaware River located in the beautiful Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area on the border of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. They carried everything with them on the river and camping as we traveled downstream. Henwood-Costa shares, “All students were engaged in the meaningful work of traveling as a large group down the river, including tent set­up, meal preparation and clean-up, fire building, canoe packing, and unpacking, etc. They learned navigation skills and had several opportunities to practice leadership in small and large groups. In addition, students continued their understanding of Leave No Trace (LNT) wilderness travel practices that we began working with in sixth grade Outdoor Education.”

Enjoy the gallery of photos of their adventure here!