Members of Interpersonal Skills explored Camp Wood — a Young Men’s Christian Association camp in Elmdale —  on Wednesday, Aug. 28 to kick of IPS’s school year.

IPS has been attending Camp Wood consistently for the past 11 years. They use it as a team building experience to get to know each other as a community at the beginning of every year, as many of the students taking the class are new.  

“It sets the tone for how the rest of the year will go,” senior Egan Dritz said.  “As we have 60 people that go, you can really get to know people a whole lot better than you would in the 55-minute period that you have in school.”

Every member of IPS was allowed to go, at no cost to them, for the entire day. They arrived at around 9 a.m. and stayed until 7:30 p.m. that night. 

The students were split into four groups that each rotated through the activities the camp had to offer. While not everyone in the class was physically able to participate, accommodations were made by fellow group members.

“I really like camp… because everybody is so supportive,” assistant teacher Jamie Schnee said. “Not everybody can do everything that’s offered, but it’s great to see how people… make adaptations to include everybody…  even if you can’t physically do something you can still be included in other ways.”

Students participated in archery, horseback riding, ropes courses, climbed a fifty foot tower and took part in various team building activities. Those ranged from other outdoors activities to making dinner together, which was the last activity they did. 

“Camp Wood is beneficial because it is a great way to connect with your peers and to build the team,” senior Logan Linenburger said.

While it may seem like a fun field trip, Camp Wood is an integral part of building the IPS community for the school year. The trip incorporates many of the important aspects of IPS’s goal as a class. 

“I think that going out of town and spending that day, just as a group together all day, you get to not only talk to the people in your group and experience things together but get to… do things that are outside of your comfort zone,” Schnee said.  “And that’s… what the class is about, is learning about each other while pushing comfort zones and working as a team.”