Eva Baldi

Shawville June 22, 2022

Pontiac High School’s outdoor education program received a donation of nearly five-thousand dollars of camping equipment.

“Outdoor Ed is a program that grew out of the canoe club,” said Jordan Kent, who teaches outdoor education at Pontiac High School. He explained that . . .

for a number of years the canoe club continued to grow and add events and trips until they had enough interest to start a program for upper year and apartment students. “We now offer canoe training and races, hiking trips, an overnight winter trip, a winter festival, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing climbing and more,” said Kent.

Kent, who has always had a passion for the outdoors, argues for the importance of nurturing students’ connection to the natural world. This belief is shared by the anonymous donors. They chose to support the program by asking Kent to create a list of equipment he believed would be the most useful. With the donation fully realized the school received tents, sleeping mats, sleeping bags, camping plates and cutlery, a bear barrel and camping stoves. Kent explained that the anonymous donor insisted that the school thought of everything that would be needed, even down to the small things, like batteries, were included in the donation.

Kent expressed his gratitude for the donation, while expressing the importance of outdoor ed for the development of students. “The Pontiac is a beautiful region full of opportunity. One of our greatest resources is our natural beauty. Providing outdoor education experiences to students in Pontiac exposes them to that beauty and builds an appreciation for the region so they become ambassadors,” said Kent.

Though the donors wish to maintain their anonymity, they relayed a message to THE EQUITY through Kent expressing that their donation would be a success if just one student sits around a campfire and feels as though they belong.