Diving Into Camp Nielsen.

Tucked away below Dublin’s main campus is a breathtaking, tranquil, and rugged piece of land we call Camp Nielsen. It is an outdoor campus that will soon house a pavilion and three cabins, along with the amphitheater that already sits on the land. Our intention is to make Camp Nielsen an integral part of the Dublin School education — a place where students will experience self-discovery, unlock creativity, and develop the kind of perseverance and skills that can only come from a deep familiarity with the outdoors. To help us work towards that goal, we have created unique experiences for our ninth through eleventh graders that will fully immerse them in Camp Nielsen.

The ninth grade activity revolves around baseline trust and shared reality, drawing on Tuckman’s well-established model of group development — forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. During their time at Camp Nielsen, we will be creating structured opportunities for students to build relationships while establishing group norms. The activities will be low-risk and will not depend on athletic ability or social status. Regardless of confidence level or connections, all students will be able to participate whole-heartedly. The goal is not to eliminate social dynamics, as this hardly seems possible for a group of 14- and 15-year-olds. Rather, this activity aims to give students a constructive way to interact with each other in the midst of social dynamics.

The tenth grade activity will focus on building interdependence, relying on the foundation created in ninth grade. Now that students know each other better, they are more aware of their differences in working styles and expectations. This experience will teach students how to work through those differences by working together to build an outdoor shelter. The shelter must be functional, and must be the product of a group effort. Students will need to learn to rely on each other and trust each other’s work.

Finally, the eleventh grade activity will teach students solitude and self-reliance. Now that they have learned group norms, and how to be productive in the midst of those norms, they must learn who they are when that group isn’t around. Students will spend time alone, without the distraction of peers or technology. There is not a task to complete, nor a problem to solve — they must simply be. This is an important shift in students’ four-year high school progression. During their first two years, we ask them to become capable members of a group. In this third year, we ask them to step away from that group and develop confidence in themselves. This self-knowledge will be important for the leadership work that comes with Senior year.

A twelfth grade activity is in development, and will be launched as a part of next year’s program. For now, we are thrilled for our ninth, tenth, and eleventh graders to embark on these experiences in the beautiful Camp Nielsen. We are honored to use our incredible outdoor space to teach our students to seek Truth and act with Courage while discovering all they are called to be.