Campfires and Connection: How Outdoor Recreation in Education Sparks Community

I was fortunate to work at an alternative high school that understood the transformative power of exploring the Great Outdoors and prioritized outdoor recreation

In a traditional classroom, the educational journey is often structured, goal-oriented, and, for many of the students I worked with, confining. Alternative approaches push the boundaries of conventional learning. Instead of exclusively focusing on academic goals within four walls, we took students outside—rafting, hiking, camping, and exploring the wilderness. While scrambling up the back side of Pikes Peak or rafting the rapids of Desolation Canyon aren’t typically deemed rigorous academic projects, in my experience, these trips had a profound effect on our school’s culture and student performance.

Nature’s Challenges: Teaching Life Lessons Through Tangible Obstacles

One of the most powerful aspects of taking teens into nature is how it presents them with direct, tangible challenges. Whether facing exhaustion while navigating switchbacks or maneuvering through a section of turbulent white water, each obstacle provides an opportunity to develop self-confidence and self-discipline. In these moments, students confront their limits, fears, and doubts, but they also experience the thrill of overcoming challenges and strengthening a new mindset wired for perseverance.

I’ll never forget sitting with a student on Barr Trail for 45 minutes as she went through her emotional Rolodex while the rest of the class and the other staff guides marched on. She went from complaining to angry ranting to carrying out a one-person sit-in to crying tears of frustration and self-pity. She was in a situation she had never been in. A situation that made her feel inadequate and, in turn, resentful and tempted to give up. “Hashtag, relatable”–as the kids would say.

Eventually, with some validation, gentle encouragement, and striking a deal that left me carrying two packs on the steep inclines, she decided to continue. Her mindset shifted, and the hardship she was dealing with no longer felt bottomless or without purpose. When she reached Barr Camp, she was elated. For the next two years, this student volunteered to go on many more outdoor trips and became somewhat of a mentor to other students who struggled the same way she did.

This is one of many metamorphoses I witnessed on these trips. The challenges students faced forced them to confront self-doubt head-on, an invaluable life skill. Nature doesn’t provide the luxury of skipping a test or avoiding a teacher or assignment. The stakes are real and immediate, and when students conquer these challenges, they walk away with confidence and resilience that stays with them long after they’re back in the classroom. Each time we returned from a trip, there was a palpable sense of pride and accomplishment…and a strong smell of teenagers and campfire.

Building Bonds Through Cooperation and Vulnerability

Another benefit of these wilderness experiences was the sense of camaraderie they fostered. The typical social barriers that exist in everyday teen life start to dissolve. Cooperation isn’t optional on a raft or when setting up camp for the night. In a classroom, students can often work independently without interacting much with others. Or, in the hallways or cafeterias, cliques tend to stick together and certain students never intermingle. On a river or mountain trail, though, getting to know and working with the person next to you, whoever they are, becomes fundamental.

Every time we went to a ropes course, there was at least one student who would battle intense feelings of uncertainty and fear, and every single time, other students would rally around that individual and offer encouragement, reassuring them that they had her back. In these moments, the role of classmates grew into something much more personal; they became friends, supporters, and teammates. 

“Circle Up” Around the Campfires

Every evening during our trips, we had a ritual called “circle up.” Students and staff would gather around the campfire, and everyone was given a prompt to respond to. It could be as simple as “What’s one thing you’re proud of?” or “Describe a challenge you’ve faced in life.” These conversations were a space for honesty and vulnerability, often in ways that surprised us all. Students who rarely spoke up in school shared personal stories and hopes for the future.

It wasn’t just the students who opened up; the staff did, too. In sharing our own experiences, we modeled that it was safe to speak and be heard. We weren’t just teachers in those moments; we were fellow travelers on the same journey. The “circle up” conversations often got emotional, and it wasn’t uncommon to see students comforting each other, connecting over shared stories, and recognizing that they had more in common than they might have realized.

This simple but uniquely and ancestrally human act of gathering around a fire and sharing created a sense of belonging that many students hadn’t felt in other educational environments or at home in some cases. It’s a powerful thing to know that you’re seen, heard, and valued by the people around you. This experience built trust between students and staff that we carried back to school. It set the tone for us to continue a human-centered educational approach, which was exactly what our at-risk student population needed.

Lasting Bonds and Community Culture

These outdoor adventures did more than just take students out of the classroom. The trust and bonds built between students and school staff during these trips reverberated throughout the school year. When students feel they can rely on each other—and their teachers—learning becomes a collaborative and supportive experience. Being in nature for several days taught students things about themselves and each other that might have taken entire school years to discover in a traditional classroom.

Looking back, it’s clear to me how these trips impacted the staff members as well. Working with at-risk teens (or any teens for that matter) can be rough, and it’s a battle some days, weeks, or years, to not become jaded, less patient, or less understanding of students. Being on the mountain or the river with students helped us see them in new and powerful ways—watching them face fears, show vulnerability, and support each other renewed our awareness of their resilience, kindness, and potential. I know I shifted my perspective on students many times, which ultimately helped me refine my approach, renew my patience, and stay the course.

Further Reading Recommendations

Population Education: What outdoor education is and how it helps students

Science Direct: Outdoor recreation and the well-being effects of nature

Adventure Education Solutions: Building resilience and self-confidence through outdoor education