Learning Excursions Keep North County Students Engaged

Students attending JCCS’s North County Community Schools participated in multiple outdoor learning excursions in recent months, reveling in the opportunity to be outside and try new things.

The excursions included hiking, kayaking, paddleboarding, visiting tidepools, climbing, and biking, among other things. 

“The feedback we received about the programs was mostly positive,” said Principal Oscar Felix. “Some students were fearful of trying something new. The students who participated loved it!”

Students Alyssa and Julio both enjoyed the beach outing because they liked to swim and look forward to more opportunities off campus. 

“I found that I didn’t enjoy some of the activities, but it was fun to try them out,” Julio said. 

The learning excursions helped encourage students to attend school during the summer months when it’s traditionally been difficult to keep students engaged. 

Leadership saw more consistent attendance from students and that continued into the start of the new school year. 

In addition to the learning excursions, students worked on goal-setting and forward-mapping, and partner Project Aware hosted weekly listening circles with students.

“We’re working with students that don’t necessarily have the resources at home and haven’t had these opportunities, so as a learning institution, we’re able to provide them,” Felix said. “Learning is not just about math, English, science, and social studies, it’s about learning about ourselves and how we navigate the world we live in.”