“I learned to appreciate what I have.”
–Milena Lurie
On the Woodlands Trip, students and instructors sleep in tents on rustic campsites without a bathroom, a kitchen, central air, or any other modern amenity. Needs are stripped down to mere basics, and the impact on students is huge. From learning about the importance of water, to appreciating something as simple as a toilet, many students realize what they take for granted in their day-to-day lives.

“I learned how to be responsible for my own comfort.”
–Dane Graham
One of the goals of the Woodlands Trip is to teach students to be self-sufficient—a lesson that begins even before they leave home. Students are encouraged to pack for the trip themselves, and once they arrive in West Virginia, they take turns cooking dinner, clean up after meals, carry their own supplies on long hikes, and are responsible for taking care of their own needs. Seventh-grade history teacher Peter Schumacher, who has gone on the trip for the last 13 years, comments, “The instructors tell the students how to do things, but they don’t do things for them. Sometimes people need to be left alone in order to learn how to do things for themselves.” Not an easy thing to teach most 12-13 year olds.

“You can do anything if you set your mind to it.”
–Bria Wimberly
During the Woodlands Trip, students are challenged to accomplish tasks that seem impossible or even frightening at first. One day is spent climbing Spruce Knob Mountain, the tallest peak in West Virginia, using only a compass and topographical map to lead the way. On another day, students strap on their backpacks and hike several miles to the Sinks of Gandi, where they spend the night in a cave. Despite any initial apprehension, the students come away from these completed tasks with a profound sense of accomplishment. “This trip isn’t about what you can’t do,” says Dorothy Maddock, Assistant Head of Middle School, “it’s about what you can do.”

“I learned how people really are, without them worrying about what other people think.”
–Geoff Stewart
Students are separated into five randomly chosen groups and are often matched up with peers who are not in their close circle of friends. In an environment where social status and expectations become meaningless (traded in for concerns about immediate needs), students find that they are free to be themselves. And they often end up getting to know people they otherwise wouldn’t really talk to at school.

“I learned how to try and make the best out of any situation.”
–Sarah Kensell
Attitude is everything when you’re out in the woods in below-freezing weather and without the comforts you’re accustomed to having. While the trip certainly wasn’t free of complaints about the cold or the difficult task at hand, students rallied together to keep a positive outlook and enjoy themselves despite less-than-ideal conditions.

“I learned how to work together by using different people’s strengths.”
–Dixon Sperry
The 8th graders quickly learn that in order to accomplish those seemingly impossible tasks, they have to work together. Unlikely leaders reveal themselves and self-sufficiency is balanced with a responsibility to ensure group success.

These are just some of the responses that were repeated over and over again by 8th grade students. “I think this is one of the best things we do at Shipley,” said Warren Young, Lower School science teacher and coordinator of the Woodlands Trip for many years, “When I taught Middle School, I saw more growth in one week than I saw the rest of the year.”