At Waypoint Adventure, we talk about the importance of community all the time. There is no better example of this than on our programs with the Carter School. The Carter School is a Boston Public School high school for students with both severe, intensive disabilities and complex health needs. Carter students and their families participated in hiking and kayaking programs last spring. Three communities came together to make these programs possible: the Carter School, the Snowden International School, and Waypoint Adventure.
All Carter students and their families were given the chance to participate on a program in the Blue Hills on one of three days dedicated to hiking. Many students from the Carter School got to hike for the first time alongside peers from another BPS school, the Snowden International School. Snowden students learned how to push and pull some of Waypoint’s specialized off road wheelchairs, so Carter School students’ family members who usually are responsible for their child’s care at home had a chance to enjoy the hike without having to do any of the pushing. We had three great hiking days full of learning mapping skills, getting to know each other, and exploring nature (including smelling skunk cabbage). Since these hikes, we have loved finding out that Snowden students continue to volunteer at the Carter School for special events, further strengthening the relationship between the two schools.
The final program of the partnership is one of the biggest Waypoint has ever run! It was a cookout and kayaking day at Hale Reservation to celebrate the end of the school year. Families were welcome to join their child for the day. We had almost 70 people on that program! Carter students and their parents and siblings all got to try kayaking on Noanet Pond with experienced Waypoint volunteers. We all had a blast trying something new together!
Check out our pictures from these programs. We feel so lucky to be able to participate in this amazing partnership, and we cannot wait to watch these communities come together again to make these programs happen this spring!
00waypointhttps://ma.waypointadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/waypoint-adventure_logo_457x152.pngwaypoint2020-03-02 18:19:562020-03-02 18:19:56Carter School Partnership
If you know anything about HOW Waypoint Adventure programs take form and shape, hopefully the words “custom-designed” come to mind. Our adventures are adapted to meet the needs and goals of the particular individual or group we’re working with. And while there’s a whole lot of individualized instruction that takes place on the day of the program, sometimes the themes or big concepts stay generally consistent to the tried-and-true concepts we’ve found work really well for certain age groups. At the Mario Umana Academy in East Boston, for example, we’ve been working with their 2nd through 8th grade classes for 7 years and we’ve kept generally the same curriculum running: When it comes to the 4th & 5th grade class, they get a curriculum centered on Teamwork every winter. Through an adventure-education model that balances their academic work, they discover how to work together with one another.
But when we met with Ms. B, the teacher of this 4th-5th grade group, she said, “Actually, I’d rather not do Teamwork this year. My students don’t need more ‘working together…’ I’m trying to get them to NOT work so closely together.” And just like that “custom designed” took precedence. We threw out the playbook and started from scratch. This group had a unique set of needs! And their adventure-education curriculum needed to capitalize on that. Their goal was PERSEVERANCE. Things that are hard for us, can actually be GOOD for us. And in order to do things that are hard, we need perseverance! We need the ability to stick through a task, not give up, call upon strategies like asking for help, and develop resilience and grit.
So through a series of adventures and team-building sessions at school, this class got chance after chance to show perseverance. Check it out:
It started with an activity identifying (personally) what’s easy vs what’s hard. Even things in the “HARD” column like doing chores or brushing our teeth are GOOD for us. Hard things require perseverance.
The next week we went for a hike in the Blue Hills and MAN WAS IT COLD. We packed extra clothes and kept moving – not even stopping for a lunch midway through. It definitely put perseverance into action!
The next week, we started talking about specific strategies. When things get frustrating, what can we do instead of “giving-up”? Asking for help, taking a break, or positive self-talk are all good strategies. A challenging but exciting cup-stacking competition was the perfect illustration.
For our last adventure, we took perseverance to the pool – learning kayak skills like how to make the boat go where we want it to go and not giving up! This day was possible thanks to our valued corporate partner, Definitive Cares! A huge thanks goes out to 11 volunteers that met us in East Boston and did a fabulous job working with this group.
And lastly, we recounted all our hard work. We discovered that hard things really are good for us. Perseverance is a crucial skill to have when it comes to conquering challenges and sticking with important tasks. Through perseverance we can learn, have better patience, maintain better relationships, and develop skills we didn’t have before.
It was an awesome series with this class and an important reminder to all of us that “custom-designed” curriculum is valuable.
00waypointhttps://ma.waypointadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/waypoint-adventure_logo_457x152.pngwaypoint2018-03-13 20:19:252018-03-13 20:19:25Custom Designed Curriculum
Every August, we host a week of adventuring and life-learning alongside the Boys & Girls Club of Dorchester’s Inclusion Program. It was another awesome week with a new and excited group of teens ready to take on challenges and participate in fulfilling summer trips. This group was working on taking more positive risks as individuals and socializing well within constructive teams. Each day involved a discussion at the end about what challenges we faced, the supports that we used to meet those challenges, and then culminated in delivering compliments to everyone in the group.
This group was funny, encouraging, articulated their feelings, supported each other, and participated with full hearts and good attitudes. They were AWESOME to work with for 4 days of adventuring around Boston. Thanks again BGC Dorchester and we hope to see you again next year!
The Ropes Course at North Andover Youth Services
Hiking in the Blue Hills
Indoor Rock Climbing at Central Rock Gym in Watertown
Ocean Kayaking from World’s End Park in Hingham, MA
00waypointhttps://ma.waypointadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/waypoint-adventure_logo_457x152.pngwaypoint2017-08-30 15:26:352017-08-30 15:26:35Dorchester Boys & Girls Club
Leaders-In-Training 2017 kicked off in May on the Ropes Course and, now, at the end of the summer, they are halfway through and rocking it. Our big theme has been leadership – picking up leadership skills (both soft skills and practical ones) through repeated opportunities to take challenges – but the gleanings outside of leadership are innumerable. Read examples:
Sense of Belonging is strong: Every person has become a key component to the group. This group of young adults who didn’t know each other before the program are already becoming good friends. Texting each other, hanging out outside of LIT, and when one person can’t make an adventure due to a conflict, everyone notices and says how they miss that person. On one van ride, someone said “I miss Robert. He’s the funny one.” And everyone agreed. Another chimed in, “But Zach is the one who tells jokes.” And it was decided that these two had those roles. But then another, “I’m the one who likes cartoons.” and everyone laughed and agreed. Another said, “And I’m the one who’s into cars!”…a chorus of agreement. Each individual has a role – whether serious or silly that contributes to this team.
Trust and vulnerability is evident: Every LIT is getting the opportunity to share their “Life Story” with the group. Each person gets the floor for 6 minutes, usually around lunch, and shares about their upbringing, a person they admire, and between 1 and 3 big life challenges or events that have shaped them. The response from the group is striking – every team member listens with care and asks follow up questions. You can feel a change in the group dynamic as people get to know each other more intimately.
People’s big leaps are contagious: When one person really steps out of their comfort zone and challenges themselves, it makes others want to do the same. One young woman on our recent kayaking program was very nervous about being out on the water. She got to overcome that fear, but then was asked to assist in a “T-rescue” the process of getting someone back in their boat if their boat happens to tip over – a crafted scenario and not an emergency. She took on that challenge and later, the group was encouraging. One young man said he was inspired by her willingness to step up and do it even when he knew she was nervous. “It made me want to try something challenging too!”
There are countless more stories and exciting things that are happening on each program. Our lessons are taking an in-depth look at what a leader is and what they are not. I.e. Leaders look different; They are not always the ones who are the loudest, the ones in front, or the most confident in front of a group; They can be any one of us. And now we’re in the midst of looking at specific attributes of leaders. I.e. Leaders are caring, thoughtful, bold, willing to share about themselves, good listeners, and more.
Last weekend, our LITs got to practice their leadership skills with an authentic audience – STUDENTS who came to go kayaking (all between ages 6 and 12). Each LIT got a chance to practice their leadership skills – taking our group through a schedule for the day, giving specific kayaking instruction like how to put on a life jacket, keeping everyone feeling safe and happy, or just making sure everyone had on sunscreen and had full water-bottles. It was awesome to see them in their element and executing everything they had learned so far. Check out pictures of our last three adventures: a hike in the Blue Hills and two kayaking programs – one in Harold Parker State Forest, and one on the Charles River in Waltham.
6/25 Hike in the Blue Hills
Sara and Jessi (Volunteer) work together to support their team mate Sara
Jessi, Sara and Tessa are all smiles while posing for a picture at the top of the mountain!
Group picture at the top of the mountain. Beautiful blue sky’s and a view of the surrounding valley behind the group
Mike and Adam are helping Sara come down the mountain. Mike is in the front and has a big smile!
The entire LIT group is sitting around listening to Ryan tell his “life story”
Tessa and Adam are helping pull and push Sara’s chair and the rest of the group is behind them. Everyone is hiking down the trail through a beautiful sunlit forest.
Kristina is being a sited guide for Adam R. as they hike through a beautiful sunlit forest. Adam C., Sara and Mike are walking right behind them.
Adam, Sara and Mike are walking along the top of the mountain as they begin their descent. A view of the valley below them is beautiful and the sky is blue with white puffy clouds.
The group making their way across the rocky hilltop. Views towards Quincy and the South Shore are spectacular!
Adam and Kristina stepping carefully down the rocky descent
7/29 Kayaking in Harold Parker State Forest
Shayda and Chris partnered up to paddle together are getting their life jackets fitted correctly
Adam zipping up his life jacket while Sara F makes sure it fits right
Chris, Julia, Adam, and Sara F are in Group 1 – ready to learn about how to put on a life jacket, get in and out of a boat, and how to fit the boat to yourself
All the LITs partnered up and standing next to their boats listening to Adam talking about how to get in safely
The group paddle halfway across Field Pond and now take a break to eat lunch and a few will tell their Life Story
Sitting on a floor of pine needles eating lunch overlooking the pond and the pines
A description of our life story structure (1. tell us about your childhood, 2. Tell us about a significant person in your life, and 3. tell us about some major events that have shaped you)
Zach, Tessa, Robert, and Kristina in Group 2 learning about Paddle Strokes
Adam and Zach’s boat getting the lunches packed in the hatch
Adam Combs testing Group 3 on what they learned about paddle signals. If he points his paddle to the left bank, Sara Y is answering correctly… we should all paddle that way!
Sara Y and Robert’s kayak – all ready and on the water! Robert starts paddling away from the shore.
A view from the shore of all the boats out on Field Pond. Big tall pine trees set behind a deep green lake with blue skies and wispy clouds overhead.
8/12 Kayaking with Students on the Charles River in Waltham
Ryan and Zach are boat partners in the morning. They’ve got their life jackets on and they’re all smiles.
Adam and Chris are boat partners in the morning. They’ve got their life jackets on and they happen to match outfits!
Zach and Adam are helping Dan put tighten his life jacket straps in the parking lot.
Adam and Eileen are paddle partners in the afternoon. Eileen is paddling the back and Adam is paddling the front. They’re on the water with a thick row of trees and blue skies overhead.
Shayda and Dan are partners. Shayda is paddling in the back and Dan is paddling in the front. They’re long tandem, red kayak is just leaving the launch.
Shayda and Dan’s boat are doing a T-rescue. Julia’s boat did a purposeful capsize and now they’re pulling the boat on top of theirs to turn it upside down and empty the water. Julia holds the front the rescue boat as she waits.
Back on shore during lunchtime, Julia is talking about attributes of a leader and Tessa is adding her word to the board.
A picture of the board: It says, “A leader is… encouraging, caring, helpful, open to challenges, willing to share about themselves, keep everyone safe, fun, and aware.”
Our students have arrived! We’re all standing in a circle and Zach is going over our schedule for the afternoon. The students are kids between age 7 and 12.
4 students listening to Zach talk about how to adjust your footpads when you get in a boat. He’s sitting in the boat on land while the kids listen and crouch down next to him to see the foot pegs.
2 students peak way down into the kayak cockpit down at Zach’s toes to see where the foot pegs are
Everyone helps bring a heavy tandem kayak down to the launch! Ryan, Josiah, Shayda, Ellen, Tessa, Chris, and Sam all lift the boat together.
Josiah and Chris paddling together in the afternoon.
Sam and Ryan are paddle partners in the afternoon. Ryan gives a thumbs up to the camera.
Ryan and Sam back on land arms around each other – psyched that they got a great day out on the water.
Zach and Natalie are back on land and arm in arm. They were paddle partners and had a great time too!
A big group shot back on land with Josiah out in front holding a Goal of the Day: “to have a fun and safe kayaking experience!”
A group shot again and everyone making silly faces
00waypointhttps://ma.waypointadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/waypoint-adventure_logo_457x152.pngwaypoint2017-08-14 19:33:382017-08-14 19:33:38Leaders-In-Training 2017, A Progress Report
With great community comes great opportunity. This community from Newton already has a few Waypoint adventures under their belts, and you can tell that their community is getting stronger and stronger. Earlier this month, the group home of young adults had another opportunity to work together and overcome challenges while hiking in the Blue Hills.
When the decision was posed to the group on which way to go, this group decided to try a new trail and it turned out to be fairly difficult! We realized that we all need each other in order to succeed! Some steep sections and rock scrambles required focus, determination, and lots of support, but the view on top of Tucker Hill was well worth it. When we can feel safe within a community of responsible, bought-in peers and know that we have the freedom to try new things, we have the opportunity to overcome obstacles. Can’t wait to adventure with this group more in the coming months!
Exploring the idea of what everyone brings to the team
Learning how to read the map and stick to it!
We made it!
00waypointhttps://ma.waypointadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/waypoint-adventure_logo_457x152.pngwaypoint2017-04-26 16:55:252017-04-26 16:55:25With Great Community Comes Great Opportunity
Since moving to the campus of Cotting School in June of 2016, we’ve met a LOT of students in the school cafeteria, during weekly vocational hours, and several have joined us on adventures. But one student in-particular has fully embraced the spirit of an “adventurer” and we’re proud to have her speak at our upcoming Spring Fundraising Party! Meet Sara:
Sara came on a winter hike this January and described it as a “thrill.” Her and her team were actually trying to go faster than the rest of the group on several occasions. When asked which trail to take, Sara always chose the rockier, steeper one. It’s obvious she’s in her element in the outdoors. Of her hike in the Blue Hills, she said:
“My experience was fun, awesome, wonderful, amazing – I need more thrill in my life right now! Such a great program. I want to do it over again. My team rocked my world. My helpers, Brendyn and Jeff, were fun to run with. I am glad we work with Waypoint on campus at Cotting. Whoop whoop!”
00waypointhttps://ma.waypointadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/waypoint-adventure_logo_457x152.pngwaypoint2017-03-23 17:16:162017-03-23 17:16:16Meet Sara
After waiting all winter for the snow to come to New England, it finally happened! Right after the Nor’easter, Waypoint and a local group home met in the Blue Hills for a beautiful, fun and challenging Saturday snowshoe adventure.
Right form the start, these residents connected with our staff and volunteers filling the snow-covered trails with laughter and good attitudes. Every time we looked around our group, smiles filled faces and funny stories were being shared. For many in our group this was the first time they had gone snowshoeing. Honestly, they couldn’t have picked a better day for it – we even enjoyed some steaming hot cocoa over lunch!
The trails were covered in snow from the big storm and we even got a new coating from a smaller storm overnight. The woods had that amazing snowy silence. Toward the end we took some time to veer off the beaten path and explore a quieter area of the trails where we had some great conversation about community and what it means to live together and share life….great insights were shared all around.
All in all, it was a great day to talk about the importance of our community and to enjoy the snowy winter that finally came to Massachusetts.
Enjoy the photos!
00waypointhttps://ma.waypointadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/waypoint-adventure_logo_457x152.pngwaypoint2017-02-27 16:42:032017-02-27 16:42:03We FINALLY got some snow!
Waypoint Adventure just finished a 4-program series of winter hikes through the Blue Hills Reservation on another day filled with the electric hum of community and awe-inspiring natural beauty. After hoping for snow and realizing to no avail that we’d be keeping our boots on, we headed down to Ponkapoag Pond to get started.
A steady 4 miles around the pond blew by thanks to all of the 30 hikers. Everyone had smiles on their faces and encouragement for those around them. Amara said, “It was because of the smiling faces that this hike was so good. And today was my first hike too.” Another mom said of her daughter’s participation, “A full day outside in winter is a true gift!” We whole-heartedly agree! Even after just 4 hikes, we felt like family; able to laugh together and share what we were learning and what hiking together was all about.
Being together around the pond opened up the opportunity to quiet ourselves for a few minutes and appreciate what was around us. Slowing down for a silent solo opportunity to pay attention to the natural movements around us are the little moments where the fast-paced world around us slows down and it all comes into perspective. What a great way to end this 4-part hiking series!
A HUGE thank you to everyone from DCR’s Universal Access Program for your partnership and support of these programs. The staff from DCR joined us on each hike and shared the experience of winter hiking alongside us. We’re so grateful for you!
Another “thank you” to GRIT for graciously sharing their Freedom Chair‘s with us. Your chairs were the perfect addition for many of our hikers; Thank you to our volunteer Bill Boyes for taking some amazing pictures! And thank you to the YMCA of Boston, Ponkapoag Outdoor Center, and Shea Memorial Rink for sharing their buildings with us before the hikes to get warm and use the bathrooms.
And, last but not least, thank you to everyone who came on one, some, or all of these hikes! You know what they say, “It takes a village”. And all of the members of this village filled a unique and important role in making these programs a success.
We can’t wait to start thinking about another season of hiking soon! Enjoy the photos and read about our first hike in the series here, and our second hike in the series here.
00waypointhttps://ma.waypointadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/waypoint-adventure_logo_457x152.pngwaypoint2017-02-01 14:27:022017-02-01 14:27:02“A Full Day Outside in Winter is a True Gift”
If you live around Boston and you recall last weekend, it was a snowy one. Some parts of the region got 12 inches in just the course of a day! The Blue Hills Reservation in Quincy was no exception. Snow started there around 10:30am and accumulated almost an inch per hour.
But none of it deterred 20 hardcore, New-England-tough, Waypoint hikers. We braved the conditions and the effort was worth the reward ten-fold. On yak-traks and wheelchairs, we covered over 2 miles in about 2 hours and at one point just stopped and stood still to watch and listen. The forest was filled with wind and falling snow and this reflective moment reminded us of how glad we were that this group had the opportunity and willingness to come together for this moment. It was beautiful.
This was the 3rd of our 4-part hiking series in partnership with DCR’s Universal Access Program and another impactful program for many. Enjoy these pics from our day!
00waypointhttps://ma.waypointadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/waypoint-adventure_logo_457x152.pngwaypoint2017-01-11 19:34:562017-01-11 19:34:56Where were YOU on January 7th?
Our hike on Saturday in the Blue Hills had a record turn-out and proved to be sincerely impactful for all. At the end of the day, one man named David said programs like these are such essential confidence boosters – they prove to him that he can accomplish things that are hard. For another young woman named E.B., it was her first time hiking! Her mom said “E.B. was a bit tired after the fact, but what a sense of accomplishment she had!” Check out E.B.’s summary:
My first hike was amazing! I got to meet a lot of people. It was at the Blue Hills. I thought I did 2.5 miles, but I actually did 3 miles. WOW! I tried a Freedom Chair which I had to pedal with my hands. It was a little hard, but I managed to do it. We experienced some hard inclines, and the hike was bumpy with a lot of rocks and mud. This taught me to depend on my team Kathy, Jon, Ariel, and Tish and we had to work as a team. Teamwork made me do more things and I really recommend going on this hike! =)
Thank you to Tish and Ben from GRIT for providing the Freedom Chairs and to DCR Universal Access for making this hike possible! Check out pictures from the day!
00waypointhttps://ma.waypointadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/waypoint-adventure_logo_457x152.pngwaypoint2016-12-08 18:54:262016-12-08 18:54:26“My First Hike” – by E.B.
