Nine students from PYC Arts & Tech High had the opportunity to visit the Boundary
Waters Canoe Area this fall. The trip has been a PYC tradition since the early 1970s.
“I was really happy to get back there,” said Nate Christen, an English teacher at PYC.
“We haven’t had a group go up for about three and a half years due to the pandemic.”
The students spent three nights and four days sleeping in tents, paddling and portaging
canoes, building bonfires and — a trip highlight — stargazing.
“You can’t see the stars like that in the city,” said Sana’A L., an 11th grader at PYC.
“They were as clear as day!”
The students also spent time reflecting and journaling on their experiences.
“I learned I can canoe and get along with other people pretty well,” said Sana’A. “And that I
should step out of my comfort zone more because it could be fun.”
“What I learned about myself is that I’m a quick learner,’” said Brandon J., a 12th grader.
None of the students had ever been to the Boundary Waters before. Only a few had been canoeing.
“The trip is a chance for students to experience things they’ve never experienced and gain new appreciation for themselves and others,” said David Tarlton, Director of Education at PYC. “There’s a growth that happens.”
The experience is transformative in more ways than one.
“It builds bonds between staff and students,” said Christen. “The students who go on the wilderness trip with me, I can push them a little more in class because we’ve done all these things. We’ve stepped out of our comfort zones — together. ”