It has been one week since SAFE BASE returned from Colorado, and I am still recovering — for better or worse.
It took a lot of work from behind the scenes — Mark Dunlap and I staying up (much) later than the students to upload photos, write and edit. The weeklong trip the students embarked on was something I never thought I would be able to experience.
I’ve spent time in the mountains, climbing, hiking and fishing, but, Angela Henry and her staff created something special, something worthwhile.
The kids took in boatloads of information and experiences thanks to this special after-school program, and they probably don’t even realize how much it will affect them. Sure, Angela could have bought new iPads or computers, and some may say that the Colorado trip was a “disposable” use of the $100,000 grant.
I disagree.
The teachers and staff, many of whom agreed they had as much fun as the students on the trip, realized the trip’s effects would last much longer than when everyone stepped off of the bus. When a child who has never left home becomes involved in a trip of this scope, it WILL change his life.
Most of the students had not been to the mountains.
They saw Rocky Mountain National Park, traveled through a gold mine, touched a real wolf, went whitewater rafting and most importantly, spent five nights sleeping in a tent away from home — priceless.
ONE EVENING on the trip, I talked to a group of students about their experience. I had some mixed responses. Most agreed that they were having fun, but also complained about the lack of showers, sleeping on the ground and not having TV or video games.
That’s when I explained the difference between what I call “type-1 fun” and “type-2 fun.” So here goes:
— Type-1 fun is instantaneous and passive, like watching TV or a movie.
— Type-2 fun may be grueling and difficult in the process, but its outcome depends on active participation.
Sleeping on the ground, riding the rapids, hiking the trails — all involved the students.
These students will look back on their journey through the Rockies for years to come. The memory will grow fonder as each year is ticked off of the calendar. The dirt and sweat (some tears and a little blood) will add to the stories they will tell their friends and families.
Many of these children will not have the opportunity to experience such a trip again, at least not in the near future. SAFE BASE offered this experience at no cost. Maybe when they grow older and have families of their own, they will take their children scrambling over the boulders of Rocky Mountain National Park, or tour the historic buildings of Leadville.
In the end, the struggle was worth it — the journey was the reason and the point. In the future, each of the SAFE BASE students will realize that fact. Heck, I’m already excited about the next adventure.
—Steven Schwartz
