A group of more than 30 Huntington High School students enrolled in the Project Adventure physical education course program were excited to head into the field, recently traveling to Sunken Meadow State Park to participate in a full day experience at the Western Suffolk BOCES outdoor environmental education center.
The Huntington contingent was accompanied by teachers Christopher Taylor and Michael Marinello. Mr. Taylor teaches Project Adventure and Mr. Marinello is a former PA teacher who currently serves as department coordinator.
The teenagers participated in group cooperative games, spent time on a “challenge” course and enjoyed orienteering and an interpretative hike.
The Huntington students were assembled into two groups and they had a fun day, despite the overcast skies. They participated in a series of group cooperative games that required teamwork and problem-solving. Students needed to communicate accurately and work closely together in a positive manner to accomplish various goals. After each task there was a discussion about the groups’ dynamics.
On the challenge course, students undertook various physical tasks using low ropes and cables, which also required teamwork and support from the others in the group. The teenagers were encouraged to practice the skills they used during cooperative games to meet each of the low ropes challenges.
During the orienteering and interpretive hike segment, students were introduced to maps and the glacial landforms of Long Island, comparing the outwash plains of Manorville to the moraine at Sunken Meadow. The teenagers learned how to use a compass and then practiced the skill to navigate their hike on the Greenbelt Trail from start to finish. Interpretation on the trail and along the Harbor Hill Moraine was geared to the geology of the area.
The Huntington High School Project Adventure students will head to the Nassau BOCES outdoor education center in Brookville in May for a day on its low and high challenge courses. There will be more activities involving cooperation, trust and problem-solving “in an atmosphere of safety, respect and fun,” according to a program overview.
For more information about the high school’s Project Adventure course program send a message to Mr. Taylor at ctaylor@hufsd.edu.
