Whittier Natural Leaders program helps kids find wonder in nature

It’s the stuff Minnesota summer memories are made of. 

Playing in the woods, canoeing and swimming in the lake, and of course, roasting marshmallows around the campfire. About 160 Minneapolis Public Schools students are wrapping up their “Whittier Natural Leaders” program with a visit to Campfire MN in Excelsior. For some of the older campers, it’s their first “sleepover” camp.

Presiding over the buzz of activity is “Nacho.” Jeff “Nacho” Carlson has coordinated Whittier Natural Leaders for the five years it’s been offered through MPS Community Education. Those years have validated his belief that nature has calming and healing benefits for everyone.

”The time we spend in nature recharges us, rejuvenates us,” said Nacho. “Whatever age we are, that time in nature has value and pays dividends for us.”

The program accepts kids in grades 1-9 in Minneapolis’ highest-need neighborhoods and gives them opportunities to explore, protect and find wonder in nature. For seven weeks starting in June, the kids planted and tended pollinator gardens, cared for wildlife habitats and explored Minneapolis by bike and canoe.

Counselor Lizette Martinez Boelk graduated from South High School last spring. She says the neighborhood where she grew up didn’t have a lot of chances to skip a stone in a creek or watch a Monarch butterfly hover over milkweed. “This program gave us opportunities to go out of the city and see the hidden gems of nature,” she said.

Dylan, a sixth grader at Whittier, took a break from the Camp Fire obstacle course just long enough to tell us how much he loves spending more time outdoors with his friends.

Nacho says all those camp activities lead to leadership opportunities.  “Students that are now in third, fourth grade are looking ahead and thinking about being a counselor some day. Counselors are thinking ahead about going into bigger leadership positions.”

Sometimes natural leaders aren’t born. They are forged in friendships and s’mores over campfires in the summer.

Note: In 2024, MPS Community Education was honored at the Minnesota Community Education Association (MCEA) awards. MCEA recognized projects that exemplify the concept of community education, including Whittier Natural Leaders.