Big Picture Students Tackle Ropes Course
by CA-BOCES Communications Office
October 29, 2009
Approximately 60 students and 20 staff members from all three of Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES’ Big Picture Learning programs attended the Houghton College Ropes Course on Friday, September 25. According to Elm Street Academy Principal and Big Picture Director Chris McNell, “This was the fourth year we took students from the Elm Street Academy Big Picture learning site to the ropes course at Houghton College. It was also the first time we took students from our newly created programs at Olean High School and Ellicottville Central School.”
Mr. McNell explained, “We like to take the students on this wilderness adventure outing early in the year so we can start to develop relationships. The low level elements (of the course) require the students and staff to work together, learn from each other, and develop an element of trust. The high elements help the individual gain self-esteem by setting and accomplishing goals the individual might have thought were not possible. Together, the building of relationships and self esteem can help bring about success in each student’s education.”
Elm Street Academy Student Forrest Olasin observed, “The use of teamwork to achieve a goal is (also) a great builder of one’s character. To have an ability to rally those who are around you is in itself the essence of the ropes course.”
ESA Student Paul Malota added, “I think that the ropes course was pretty cool, and if I could do it all over, I would just do it. We worked on teamwork and strategy-making really well with one another.”
Samantha Phillips from the Big Picture program at Ellicottville Central School added, “It (the ropes course) was hard and pretty scary at first, but once you got used to falling, it was so much fun. I would definitely go back!”
Big Picture Schools were created to address the problem of students dropping out of school. Recent statistics show that in the United States, one student drops out of school every 12 seconds. Big Picture Schools provide a unique learning opportunity for students who are at risk of dropping out of school. Under the Big Picture concept, students become immersed in areas they are passionate about, in particular through internships and real-world learning experiences. All three of the BOCES programs stress treating all individuals with respect and recognizing that everyone has strengths and weaknesses.