Outdoor Education for Middle Schoolers: Building Leadership, Trust, and Community at Roosevelt
At Roosevelt Elementary School in Bridgeport, Connecticut, middle school students went on a journey. It transformed how they viewed themselves. It also changed how they saw each other.
Known proudly as the Roosevelt Rough Riders, these students joined a new youth leadership program in partnership with Outside Perspectives. This program was built not around textbooks or tests. Instead, it focused on trails, trust, and transformation.
Through this hands-on experience, the program fostered youth leadership through outdoor adventure.
What unfolded wasn’t just a single moment of growth, but a carefully guided journey. Three distinct phases of outdoor education that fostered leadership, community, and resilience.
It was a story that unfolded step by step, knot by knot, paddle by paddle.
Laying the Groundwork: The Journey of Growth at Roosevelt
The Rough Riders’ experience followed the Journey of Growth (JOG) framework. JOG is Outside Perspectives’ development model. It is designed to meet youth where they are, helping them build emotional and leadership skills through outdoor learning.
Over several months, Roosevelt’s students moved through three hands-on program phases:
- Navigation and Hiking: Learning about the 10 essentials, map and compass navigation skills, Leave No Trace ethics, and ending with a group hike
- Climbing and Trust: Training in knot-tying, climbing gear, communication, and trust, followed by an outdoor rock climbing day
- Canoeing and Community: Team-building and paddle training, culminating in an overnight canoe camping expedition
Each phase included three weekly after-school workshops, incorporating team-building through cooperative games, followed by a field experience. Each experience revealed new layers of confidence and connection.
Phase One: Finding Their Way on the Trail
The program began in March. Students gathered to begin their journey. They reviewed the “10 Essentials.” Students learned about Leave No Trace ethics. They practiced using map and compass navigation skills. When it was time for the hike day, their learning came to life.
Carol Ortiz, the Rough Riders’ guide and Roosevelt’s PE teacher, reflected on one pivotal moment:
“Our biggest group challenge was right at the end of the hike. The trail kept going, and it wasn’t getting easier. Students started expressing worry—talking about going home or what their friends were doing. I paused the group and talked about their mental state. Kate reminded them that when your mind goes elsewhere, mistakes happen. Then, something beautiful happened. They looked at each other, started clapping, shouting war cries, encouraging each other, and they moved right along.”
Another student, afraid of heights, was visibly nervous during a steep section of the trail.
“I quietly told the group’s leaders and medics,” Carol shared. “They locked in immediately. They encouraged her and let her grab onto a backpack for support. She smiled the whole way up.”
That day wasn’t about the distance. It was about showing up for one another — and themselves.
Phase Two: Climbing Higher Together
Next came rock climbing. In the gym, students practiced knots, learned about climbing gear, and how to belay and communicate with a partner.
They tackled the Human Knot challenge, a classic trust-building game, and explored climbing grades online. Then came their outdoor climbing day.
The results were immediate.
“The amount of confidence this rock climbing part is giving them is amazing,” Carol wrote afterward. “Their enthusiasm is pouring out—they just want to tell you EVERYTHING!”
She shared one especially heartwarming story:
“Elias, a 6th grader terrified of heights, came to me and said, ‘I’m really trying to push my boundaries. I want to do it with foods and rock climbing. I’m even playing a rock climbing video game at home now.’”
These weren’t just physical challenges. They were emotional turning points, moments when self-doubt gave way to pride.
Phase Three: Canoeing Toward Confidence
By late spring, the Rough Riders turned their focus to water. Workshops introduced paddle strokes, bow and stern roles, canoe safety, and team communication.
The final experience? A two-day canoe camping trip at Lake Winchester and the Farmington River in June.
The first day was filled with laughter, rescues, and fresh air. After a lakeside lunch and water games, the group camped under the stars at Big Spring in Peoples State Forest.
Dinner was followed by an evening meeting that helped frame the trip within the arc of their own personal growth.
The next morning, the crew paddled down the Farmington River. They had lunch at the Flower Bridge. Then they paddled to the take-out at Curtiss Park.
It wasn’t easy. Many students were nervous to sleep outside. But every single one stayed and every single one came back stronger.
“At the beginning of the trip, many participants expressed their nervousness. They were particularly anxious about staying outside overnight,” Carol said. “It was a huge accomplishment for everyone to push through that fear—and they were all happy they came and stayed.”
Building Something Bigger Than a Trip
The impact of this pilot program reached far beyond its final destination.
- Students rescheduled doctor appointments and chose the JOG workshops over other after-school extracurricular activities.
- They built a group identity—no session started without every member there.
- They learned to take on roles like cook, medic, and navigator—and owned them.
- They formed a community based on support, challenge, and belonging.
This wasn’t just about time outdoors. It was about showing students what they’re capable of when they have the tools, space, and community to explore it.
It was about building youth confidence and resilience in nature.
Looking Ahead: The Journey Continues
The Roosevelt Rough Riders have already set a high bar and the story isn’t over.
Some students will return next year as peer leaders, helping mentor new participants. Their return continues a growing tradition of youth leadership through outdoor adventure.
The school and Outside Perspectives are now working to secure funding to make sure this powerful tradition continues.
Conclusion: Real Growth Happens Together
The Journey of Growth doesn’t hinge on one magical moment or culminating trip. It’s the quiet decision to show up.
The teamwork builds slowly, week after week. The shared meals, the fire circle talks, the tears, the laughter. It’s students cheering each other through a challenging hike. They help someone up a wall. Or they paddle together down a river.
At Roosevelt, growth didn’t just happen in the woods. It happened in every moment the Rough Riders chose courage over comfort and did it together.
FAQs
What is the Roosevelt Rough Riders Program?
This is a youth outdoor leadership initiative at Roosevelt Elementary School. It was developed with Outside Perspectives. The program is rooted in Outside Perspectives’ Journey of Growth model. It is a path to outdoor experiential education in Bridgeport.
What is the Journey of Growth (JOG)?
A structured, progressive framework of outdoor programming that focuses on building trust, leadership, and emotional resilience.
How did the JOG program work at Roosevelt?
Through three phases: hiking, rock climbing, and canoeing—each with weekly workshops followed by a culminating outdoor experience.
What kinds of outcomes were observed?
Stronger peer support, increased youth confidence and resilience in nature, leadership development, emotional growth, and greater school engagement.
How can I support programs like this?
Reach out to Outside Perspectives to support funding, donate, volunteer, or help spread the word.
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