30 May Thank You Deb
Reflecting on 30 years of The Outdoor School
After 30 years running the show, Deb has decided it is time to step back. Don’t worry, Deb is still going to be around at Camp, just taking on some new challenges. We sat down with Deb last week to talk about some highlights from running TOS.
TOS: How did TOS start? What brought you to the program?
Deb: Luck/ God’s Grace. I was in the right place at the right time, and the former owners purchased Camp Champions, and they wanted to start an Outdoor Education program, as at the time, Camp was mostly idle during the school year months. I had a teaching degree, and they asked if I wanted to start the program and I said yes.
TOS: What was it like/ what were some highlights from that first year?
Deb: I will never forget when the very first school arrived. The kids got off the bus and just started running everywhere. The principal said, ” You don’t understand, the kids from this school have never seen so much grass in one place before.” It highlighted the need for this program.
TOS: What are some of the biggest changes that you have seen with the program?
Deb: New facilities, of course. Program-wise, adding and subtracting some classes as TEKS have changed. For example, we used to have a Wildflower class. “Wild about Wildflowers.”
Expanding to a new site (Located at Camp for All in Burton, TX) was challenging and fun. The day we closed it down to reconsolidate was sad. However, many of the schools that attended that site still come to us in Marble Falls. Also, the growth of the program. As it has grown, we have been able to keep a small program feel while still being able to reach more students. Along with reaching more students, we have also provided more career development opportunities. Along with hiring a larger instructor team, as we grew, we were able to add program coordinator positions. In the early days of the position, we called them Directors in Training. The position is a chance to build the skills needed to be a full-time director in the OE/ Camp world. Many of our PCs have gone on to full-time roles at Camp and OE programs around the country.
TOS: What are you most proud of when it comes to TOS?
Deb: There are several things I am proud of. The diversity of the students who attend, from low socio-economic to high-end private schools. We pride ourselves on providing programming that is available to all schools. The quality of our program is another. Every year we tweak and update it to make sure it stays current. Often, schools that leave us for one reason or another, return within 1-2 years. There are also so many schools that have made attending TOS a can’t miss tradition every single year. That means so much to all of us on the team. I am also proud of the staff that we hire, and their commitment to both children and the outdoors. I’m proud of the fact that we run into people all over the country who still have their nametags as adults. They send me pictures with their nametags. I’m also proud of the fact that I have been able to learn and grow from the knowledge that instructors bring to the table. They are always challenging me to be a better leader and director.
TOS: When you think about TOS, is there a certain highlight or memory that comes to your mind first?
Deb: The best things that pop into my mind are: I have the best office in the world. I can look outside at the green, the lake, the animals, and the kids romping and playing and having fun.
And that we offer the ability for people to use the outdoors.. I believe in the mission statement and that it makes a difference in people both the students and the staff. Our mission statement is “The Outdoor School strives to use the outdoors to awaken both ourselves and others to the potential within and around all of us.” I see the impact of that statement every day I am at work. And of course, working with staff from so many different places that wherever I travel, I always have friends to visit, and don’t usually need a hotel room.
TOS: Looking forward, what do you see for the future of TOS?
Deb: I see bright things ahead. I think I have taken TOS to the peak I can take it to, and it is time for someone else to come in and take it to new and higher levels I am excited that someone else can come in and take the program I built and make it even better.
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