GRAD is grand

I wanted to take the time to reflect on the work done by the students in the GRAD program this summer. I’ve told you before that GRAD stands for Graduation Really Achieves Dreams, and I was pleased to attend the students’ program completion ceremony last Thursday in Chiloquin.

The 15 student participants will be sophomores and juniors at Chiloquin High School this fall. During the four weeks they spent with us, they traveled from Chiloquin every Monday morning to live and learn on the OIT campus and in local nature areas. Each Thursday afternoon the students returned to Chiloquin to spend time with their families and friends.

What struck me about these students is how eager they were at every opportunity. While canoeing along the Wood River, learning about the natural ecology and biology there, one student exclaimed it might be fun to be a biologist. It was a new thought based on applied learning instead of the rote textbook experience most students perceive as education.

These young people camped and hiked at Crater Lake, never complaining about the length of the walking excursions or the inconvenience of living so close to nature. The opportunity to learn in a National Park, within close proximity to their homes, made the experience more meaningful to them.

Throughout their month at OIT it was fun to watch the students interact with each other and other campus community members. They are a tactile group, often hugging and seen at the end of summer barbecue highlighting each others hair with markers.

At the ceremony each family was proud of the accomplishments of their student. I appreciate the enthusiasm and promise they brought to our campus and look forward to next year’s GRAD program.

I’m posting several photos of the GRAD experience. The Sponsored and Pre-College Programs office has done yeoman’s work to promote educational opportunities to local youth. I’m delighted to see the interaction between the GRAD students and the OIT students serving as summer counselors.