At the secluded and expansive Camp Woodstock, abutting Black Pond, the school day starts at 8 a.m. with breakfast in the cafeteria.
It ends at 10 p.m. in a cabin with urban and suburban Connecticut students talking about life, their differences and what they share in common.
In between, there are regular school classes, such as science and social students.
But what characterizes this Discovery Center educational program is the daily team-building exercises and discussions about stereotypes and respect for other cultures and perspectives.
Those traits contributed to the Discovery Center being named Hartford Business Journal’s innovative organization diversity winnner.
Each year about 3,000 urban and suburban students participate in the initiative. The Discovery Center’s mission is to reduce racial isolation and promote inclusion among Connecticut’s students. Its motto is “A Classroom Without Walls … A Future Without Prejudice.”
“At an early age these kids can develop a sense of acceptance toward each other that (will) ultimately lead to developing an understanding for one another later in life,” said Peter Richard, a chemistry teacher at East Windsor Middle School. Each year Richard teaches “chemistry in the kitchen” for one week at the camp.
Officially organized in 2002, the center evolved through the vision of Connecticut actors Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. They launched it as a pilot program of the Hole in Wall Gang Camp in 1992.
“He was the driving force,” Executive Director Allan Wilson said of Newman. “He really felt that young people needed to be taught how to get along with one another and, frankly, work together effectively.”
For example, East Windsor Middle and Mary Hooker Elementary School in Hartford are paired for the week.
Twenty-eight schools, including ones from Hartford, Glastonbury, Wethersfield, East Hartford, New Britain, Franklin and Manchester, participate in the three-year program for fourth-, fifth- and sixth- graders.
There are seven instructors. The classes are run for 11 weeks in the fall; 12 weeks in the spring. Participation has almost tripled in recent years, Wilson said.
In a world growing more diverse, respect and inclusion are principles that have to be learned, Wilson says.
“There are a lot of different problems and issues facing our world today,” Wilson said, mentioning race, gender, bullying and other social dynamics. “And a lot of it is going to require an incredible level of cooperation and understanding between people who are coming from different backgrounds, whether it be racial, cultural or socio-economically. ‘’
The sixth-graders attend the program for five days, and stay overnight. The fifth-graders attend thrice weekly and the fourth-graders go once a week.
Camp Woodstock is located in Woodstock Valley and encompasses more than 100 wooded acres. Cabins, dirt trails, walking trails, rope courses and climbing walls are some of the attractions.
There is also a very active beaver population.
The students are up at 7:30 a.m. After breakfast they engage in their non-traditional classes. The popular “Owl Hunt,” Richard said, gives students sitting an a camp fire an opportunity to learn about nature, science and the characteristics of owls.
The students also team together to tackle the low ropes course, where teams have to figure out and help each other in swinging safely from one platform to the next.
From 9:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., it’s time for an informal cabin chat. Students can kick back and discuss the highlights and lowlights of the day and identify peers who have distinguished themselves in some task or activity.
One of the more revealing exercises, Richard said, is a group discussion about apples and oranges. The students will observe bunches of the fruit, pick out the differences in each cluster and talk about what distinguishes each apple and orange — and what the two fruits have in common.
The message: There are appealing attributes and imperfections in everyone you meet — if you just take time to understand them.
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Company: Discovery Center
Location: Woodstock
Category: Innovation (Organization)
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