Overnight & Multi-Day Programs

At the end of the academic year, one local district brings together students from multiple elementary schools for a three-day community-building experience as students transition to middle school. The custom program allows students to engage in a wide variety of activities, including getting-to-know-you games, challenge and trust-building initiatives, and communication and problem-solving activities. Teachers collaborate with Hale’s staff to design a hands-on science lesson at Noanet Pond. The experience ends with an outdoor barbecue, and students leave for the summer having made new friends who they will see on their first day of
middle school in the fall.

A local school worked with Hale’s staff to create a series of winter outdoor experiences. Teachers bring one grade level of students to Hale every week for four weeks. Activities include night hikes, building campfires, teambuilding, scavenger hunts, and nature walks. During colder months when people are less likely to be physically active outside, the program encourages every student to stay active in nature.

Another district sends its 7th graders to Hale for a “rites of passage” overnight experience every year. Students engage in both daytime and nighttime teambuilding and connect with their teachers and each other. Students and staff members sleep in Hale’s heated yurts. Teachers report that their relationships with students who participate in the program are forever changed and that it positively impacts the quality of work for the rest of the year.