Guest blogger, Solveig Steeman, shares her experience hiking Mt. Willard with the Waypoint Adventure Club (WAC). Solveig has been an active participant with Waypoint Adventure since 2019 when she joined the Leaders-In-Training program. She has discovered different types of equipment like the GRIT off-road wheelchair and is fearless when it comes to hiking, backpacking, kayaking, rock-climbing, and tandem cycling! She does it all! Read her words below:
My name is Solveig Steeman. I am part of Waypoint Adventure Club (WAC). I went to a winter hike trip weekend with other WAC members at Mountain Willard in New Hampshire. I really love the winter trip because I got some experience to hiking in the middle of snow and cold weather.
It gave me a opportunity to meet more people in the Waypoint community. I am a downhill sit skier. However, I got experience of uphill sit ski over that weekend. It was a cool and fun experience. I was able to push myself a bit to keep my body move and warm throughout that day and spent five hours in cold. I also had a team of WAC members who help me to get to the top of Mountain Willard. We made to the top of mountain with the team. “Teamwork Became Dreamwork”
Check out pictures of Solveig and the rest of the WAC team on their Winter Summit Weekend in March 2023.
00JULIA SPRUANCEhttps://ma.waypointadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/waypoint-adventure_logo_457x152.pngJULIA SPRUANCE2023-03-24 14:06:092023-03-24 14:06:09My Experience on Mt. Willard
24 Programs! Our biggest partnership ever! What an awesome year it has been with the thriving Special Education Department of Somerville Public Schools. Thanks to a Cummings Foundation grant the Somerville SPED Department received and the tireless efforts of Wellness Coordinator and friend, Caitlin Kelly, Waypoint was BACK in Somerville for the 2018-2019 school year designing and facilitating quality adventure-education programs for 19 different classes across the district. Social-Emotional Learning was happening on these programs: students immersed in problem solving scenarios, supported by the process of learning and community, and given the right to take on challenging experiences and we saw it in action – the perfect recipe for character building come to life.
These programs were not just work for us. The buy-in from teachers and administrators made this series a joy to facilitate. We even had volunteers come out on one program and come back again and again and again because of how much fun they had just being a part of these days! Shoutout to Jim Bradley, Sylvana Weinstein, and some awesome repeat groups from Definitive Cares and The Shady Hill School. This community is vibrant and excelling because of your support!
You HAVE to peruse some of the pictures below. It felt like a family photo album putting these together and laughing about ridiculous things that happened on programs and awesome students, teachers, and volunteers we met along the way. Here are some snapshots from all of the programs we ran with Somerville during 2018-2019:
10/25/18 Ropes Course at Hale Reservation
11/14/18 Hike in the Middlesex Fells
12/19/18 Indoor Rock Climbing at Central Rock Watertown
1/9/19 Indoor Rock Climbing at Central Rock Watertown
1/11/19 Hike at Prospect Hill in Waltham
1/15/19 Indoor Rock Climbing at Central Rock Watertown
1/23/19 Hike at Ward Reservation in Andover
1/30/19 Indoor Kayaking at the Kennedy School in Somerville
2/5/19 Hike at Ward Reservation in Andover
2/13/19 Indoor Kayaking at the Kennedy School in Somerville
2/27/19 Indoor Kayaking at the Kennedy School in Somerville
3/19/19 Hike at Harold Parker State Forest in Andover
3/27/19 Indoor Kayaking at the Kennedy School in Somerville
3/28/19 Indoor Rock Climbing at Central Rock Watertown
4/2/19 Outdoor Rock Climbing at Hammond Pond in Newton
4/10/19 Hike at Breakheart Reservation in Wakefield
4/24/19 Hike at Lynn Woods in Lynn
5/1/19 Indoor Rock Climbing at Central Rock Watertown
5/15/19 Hike at Lynn Woods in Lynn
5/16/19 Hike at Prospect Hill in Waltham
5/23/19 Outdoor Rock Climbing at Hammond Pond in Newton
5/24/19 Hike at Breakheart Reservation in Wakefield
5/29/19 Indoor Kayaking at the Kennedy School in Somerville
And THANK YOU to all the students for participating, and the teachers and administrators that helped coordinate transportation, get forms filled out, opened the pool, and made sure adventure programming fit seamlessly into your curriculum. We believe it’s so important and it’s encouraging to see others agree. Looking forward to next year!
00waypointhttps://ma.waypointadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/waypoint-adventure_logo_457x152.pngwaypoint2019-06-12 13:31:012019-06-12 13:31:01It’s A Wrap! Somerville 2019
It started in February and ended in May: The Best Buddies program at Cotting School planned three different “Waypoint adventures” for three different pairs of buddies. The series was centered on group and individual growth and championed inclusion. Diverse students learning together and challenging themselves alongside one another promotes the best sort of growth. It was such a pleasure designing this series! Thanks Best Buddies for this model to live by.
The first program was open to Middle School students at Cotting School in Lexington and Meadowbrook School in Weston. Click link below to check out the story we published in February on this program and one student, Thulasi, in particular that surprised her peers, teachers, and even her dad!
The second program got out into the March cold and hiked at Cutler Park in Needham. “Capstone” students at Cotting School (Ages 18-22) partnered up with college students at Lasell College and hit the trails. The group had to work together to navigate the trails, stay warm, and participate fully. It’s easier to hike when you have company!
And last, but not least, we ended back at Central Rock Climbing Gym with Upper School Students from Cotting School and Buckingham Browne & Nichols in Cambridge. The goal was the same: use high challenge to facilitate connection between diverse students. It was an awesome end to this series we’ve loved and a great memory-maker for all involved.
It all started with a call from Waypoint volunteer, Ross Fitzgerald. Ross is an 8th grade teacher at Shady Hill School in Cambridge, and with his years of experience volunteering with Waypoint, he wanted to bring the two communities together. We couldn’t have been more psyched. Shady Hill is an innovative, creative, mission-driven school and their students are respectful and helpful. Over the course of 3 adventures this winter-spring (and hopefully more), Shady Hill students joined in on our Adventure Programming with Somerville Public Schools – coming out with one class twice!
It was incredible to watch these kids interact and get along – Developing a deeper understanding of the diverse world we live in, fostering relationships with kids just a few towns away, and creating a common bond while overcoming a challenge together like kayaking or hiking. Mr. Fitzgerald and his class have been an incredible addition to the Waypoint Adventure series with Somerville Public Schools and we can’t wait to see where this partnership goes.
00waypointhttps://ma.waypointadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/waypoint-adventure_logo_457x152.pngwaypoint2019-04-30 14:15:292019-04-30 14:15:29Shady Hill School and Somerville Public Partner
Filled with anticipation and excitement, the group of 9 set out for the Highland Center in legendary Crawford Notch, NH. For some, it was another chance to summit Mt. Willard. For others, it was their first experience being up in the White Mountains in winter and hiking there with new friends.
The theme for this year was this: It Matters. Throughout the weekend, group members were given the challenge of reflecting on the decisions that they made and interactions that they had with each other to determine why they matter.
On the final night together, everyone shared their favorite moments from the trip. Some things that were said were: “This was the most challenging hike I have ever done, but I feel so proud of myself for doing it!”, “I needed this. This empowered me to get out into the world.”, and “This was excellent! (coming from a participant who uses limited speech)”.
After each person shared their favorite moment, they were given a cutout piece of the map from the trail they had just hiked. With a sharpie, each person wrote their favorite part on the back of this piece and had to figure out how their pieces came together to form the whole map. Without all the pieces, the map would have been incomplete. By the end, everyone realized that all the small things can make a huge difference in our lives. They Matter.
While the summit of Mt. Willard was truly a magical and special place, the weekend was made complete through the difficult journey up and down the mountain, eating way too much food, and hanging out with quality people in the lodge (not to mention the endless games of corn hole and ping-pong to boot!). Mt. Willard was just the icing on the cake.
But don’t take our word for it! Below are some pictures from the weekend.
Lodge Life:
Hike:
We are so grateful to have such a welcoming and loving community of people come out with us every year. 2019 was a very special year and we hope to continue the tradition in 2020. Thank you to AMC YOP for extra gear and the reservation at the Highland Center, Peter Fuller Vans (shout out to Jim Cubeta!) for the van and everyone else who made this all possible.
We met Oanh Bui, the founder of the Circle of Vietnamese Parents, in the summer of 2015 when her daughter who is on the Autism spectrum came on a kayaking program. Oanh’s passion is to build up families of Asian descent and believes adventure-education programs are a key element to her work. Her parents’ support group provides educational and emotional support for Vietnamese-speaking families who have youth with various disabilities including Autism. Her mission is to provide social and recreational opportunities for young adults so they can integrate more into their communities and to empower parents who are always the best advocates for their loves ones.
Due to social stigma and different perspectives about disability within the Vietnamese community, many Vietnamese families with children with disabilities, autism, or mental health issues hardly have opportunities to participate in any public events. Parents from the Circle of Vietnamese Parents face language AND cultural differences so the opportunities to recreate in linguistically and culturally appropriate programs are hard to come by!
Thanks to the DCR’s Universal Access Program, Waypoint Adventure and the Circle of Vietnamese Parents had the exciting opportunity to hike last week in Blue Hills Reservation! It was a COLD day and, honestly, the expectation was that a few people would probably cancel due to temperatures being in the single digits. But to our surprise, EVERY SINGLE person came and the parking lot started buzzing at 10am with families excited to participate and layer up with donated Patagonia gear for our beautiful winter hike! It was an awesome day and Oanh recalled later how impactful the experience was for these families. Parents got to see their kids overcome challenges and participate fully ….something a lingering negative stigma would have never expected them to do.
Hikes like this one help re-frame the expectations we have for our kids and ultimately builds the family and transforms lives!
00waypointhttps://ma.waypointadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/waypoint-adventure_logo_457x152.pngwaypoint2019-02-04 17:48:442019-02-04 17:48:44Breaking Down Expectations and Building Up Families
Well, it turned spring in New England (we’re pretty sure), and the lingering cold hasn’t stopped us from getting outside. In March, we hit the Middlesex Fells with a close-knit group from Specialized Housing, Inc. Six adults who live together in a group home in Newton were up for the challenge and it all paid off as the sun poked through and we actually got an awesome day!
Our goal was to challenge ourselves (physically, mentally, and socially) while also take intentional steps towards supporting all members of the group. After some group initiatives like “Name Toss” and “Wompum,” the group set off towards Panther Cave near Bellevue Pond. Everyone started off with micro-spikes on their boots; however, after several minutes, everyone decided that they would trudge on without them. Along the way, the group encountered a river crossing that took all hands on deck to get everyone across. Check out pictures from the day!
After Panther Cave, the group was motivated to get to the summit of Pine Hill, which was home to Wright’s Tower and a beautiful view of the Boston skyline. With several steep hills and the snow and ice adding to the difficulty of the trek, the group (literally) went hand and hand all the way up to the tower.
As the group made their way back to the parking lot for the end of the adventure, they stopped at cement bench to debrief and reflect on the challenges they had faced throughout the day. All were filled with smiles and laughs as each volunteer gave a special shout-out and a rock to each participant to commemorate their journey throughout the hike and the bond they share with their fellow housemates.
All in all, the group pushed themselves to their limits and supported each other throughout. We can’t wait to see what will happen next with this group on their upcoming indoor rock climbing adventure in May!
00waypointhttps://ma.waypointadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/waypoint-adventure_logo_457x152.pngwaypoint2018-04-20 16:12:082018-04-20 16:12:08Hike in the Fells!
Transformational adventure programming is happening in Somerville! Roughly 100 students from across the district are experiencing challenging experiences and big, impactful, life-learning is coming out of it. Hiking, Rock Climbing, Snowshoeing, and Kayaking programs, all within just a short bus-ride from school are increasing self-esteem, self-confidence, and students are learning new skills. Check out pictures from some recent adventures!
December 2017 – Indoor Rock Climbing at Central Rock Gym in Watertown
January 2018 – Snowshoeing at Prospect Hill in Waltham
January 2018 – Indoor Kayaking at the Kennedy School in Somerville
February 2018 – Teambuilding and prep for Indoor Kayaking
April 2018 – Indoor Rock Climbing at Central Rock Gym in Watertown, MA.Thanks for volunteering Definitive Cares!
April 2018 – Indoor Kayaking.Thanks for volunteering Definitive Cares!
Thank you to Somerville Public Schools, Somerville teachers, aids, principals, and administrators for allowing us to be involved in your community. We hope the memories from these adventures stay with these students for a lifetime!
00waypointhttps://ma.waypointadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/waypoint-adventure_logo_457x152.pngwaypoint2018-04-10 19:18:422018-04-10 19:18:42Self Confidence is on the rise in Somerville
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
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
