“Great Journeys Begin at the River”: SEL in Place-Based Learning

Key Points

• A three-day, two-night trip provides ninth-grade students with hands-on learning experiences in Virginia’s local beaches, marshes, and towns to help students explore their connection to the local environment, fostering an understanding of how place shapes identity and worldview.
• The trip emphasizes building SEL competencies such as self-awareness, self-management, and social awareness with activities that challenge students to step out of their comfort zones, adapt to natural and social environments, and reflect on their personal growth.
• Through immersive activities, students cultivate teamwork, resilience, and a deeper appreciation for the natural world and their school community. These experiences not only create lasting memories but also instill values of lifelong learning and environmental stewardship.

Thank you to David Cola for the photos featured in this blog post.

Imagine a broad river flowing into the Chesapeake Bay, dotted with sailboats skippered by young champions, and canoes and kayaks, pushed through the water by eager gunkholers,* searching for prime fishing spots.

On the shore, budding marine biologists work to measure salinity and water quality, while others sort and process oysters from our sustainably farmed oyster beds. Aspiring journalists conduct interviews with busy students and take photographs of the scene.

Everyone is hard at work and having fun, led by our world-class coaches, outdoor enthusiasts, and educators who share the belief that “great journeys begin at the river.” At Christchurch School, on the southern bank of Virginia’s Rappahannock River, our faculty believe that learning happens best through hands-on, place-based experiences, with relationships at the heart of it all. Our ninth grade Immersion Trip is a big part of that.

A Place-Based Experiential Learning Opportunity

The ninth grade Immersion Trip is a three-day, two-night experience that takes students to our local beaches and marshes to camp, paddle, and explore, as well into the surrounding small towns where students meet with and interview local families, business owners, and Native American tribe leaders. Each fall, this place-based experiential opportunity asks students to examine the unique situation of our school community and to understand how the relationship we have with a place can help to shape who we are and how we see the world.

Our student initiation to this mission begins in the first weeks of every ninth graders matriculation through our Life Skills course, which is structured around the five SEL competencies. Students develop their self-awareness through structured activities that help them to reflect on, identify, and declare who, what, and where they come from. This serves as a connection to local place-based learning with the annual trip in the fall.

To prepare, students are introduced to their “trip passports,” which ask them to detail the social, geographic, and cultural features of their places of origin. Identifying the natural spaces to which they feel the greatest connection allows students to build awareness of the impact the natural world has on them (not just the impact we have on the natural world).

Highlights of the trip this past September included the community investigation, the two-mile night hike, the all-day Dragon Run paddle, and a salt marsh adventure on our final morning together.

Building SEL Skills in the Outdoors

Students are encouraged to build their self-awareness, self-management, and social awareness skills throughout this guided experience. There are phases of palpable growth as students adapt to the challenges of the natural environment and the building of new social connections in the community. There is deep bonding between students and with their faculty facilitators.

After leaving their phones on campus, our students experienced the first activity of the Immersion Trip, a community investigation, which took small student groups in separate directions to local businesses and organizations, completely at random. This activity brought most students quickly out of their comfort zones as they navigated social interactions with complete strangers, asking questions that led to a deeper understanding of our region—and often a new connection with a community member. These individuals unknowingly became partners in educating our student groups and helping them to build confidence in themselves. One local waterman even sent his student visitors off with 100 raw oysters for roasting, which were a tasty treat for all who were brave enough to indulge.

At the end of the first long day, after community investigations, camp setup at historic Rosegill Farm, a preliminary paddle in Urbanna Creek, and a dinner around the campfire, it was time to surprise our weary ninth graders with the night hike. We are lucky to live in a place without light pollution, where constellations are easily visible and shooting stars are a common sight. But deep in the woods, it is DARK.

With guidance, students worked to quiet their giggling and began to notice how their vision adjusted to the darkness and their other senses heightened to alert them to their unfamiliar surroundings. Many students became acutely aware of their sensory inputs while overcoming their fear of the unknown. After walking within touching distance of each other for nearly two miles, students who were comfortable ended the night hike by walking alone back to camp. Many reported feelings of deep peacefulness in the still, warm night.

The next day dawned early with stretching and deep breathing exercises on the beach at sunrise, followed by preparations for a day of paddling on the ecologically pristine Dragon Run Creek. Students practiced paddling and self-management as some grappled with the unfamiliar technique. Boat passengers practiced patience and supportive coaching. Everyone practiced how to observe and connect with the bigger picture, portraits and details that, together, make up the complexity of a place.

Exhausted and grimy after two nights in tents without showers, the final morning sent us to Bethel Beach. Here, students were stunned to be led away from the wind-blown, white sand beach and straight into the marshy wetland that separated the beach from the mainland in a snake-like formation behind our fearless leader, Dave Cola, in (sometimes) waist-high mud. Remarkably, their hesitation was brief, and most students dove into the experience with reckless abandon. The adventure ended with a refreshing dip in the Chesapeake Bay, where students could wash off the mud and play.

Encouraging Lifelong Learners

This was a new and memorable experience for everyone, and fostered group bonding and further confidence building. Everyone returned to campus with a new appreciation for the natural environment and social community we share. Immersion Trips, which help to acculturate our students into lifelong learners and “true blue” Christchurch Seahorses, are one of the most important elements of our school program and a powerful practice in SEL promotion.

* Gunkholer (noun: one who explores shallow coves or channels which are nearly unnavigable because of mud, rocks, or vegetation)

The views in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of CASEL.

Kelly Goodrich earned a BA in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from the University of Richmond and a BS in Nursing from VCU. She enjoys teaching ninth grade life skills at Christchurch School, where she also serves as a school nurse and the student wellness coordinator. She resides on campus with her three curious children, beneficent husband, and beautiful cat. 

Photo credit: Dave Cola

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