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Howling Homeschoolers in the North Woods: Fun, Friends, and Family at Winter Camp
By Gretchen Glenny Damon
Issue 117, March/April 2003

Dogsledding, finding the biggest icicle, and howling like a wolf are not your typical classroom activities. They are, however, part of a unique homeschool program offered at the YMCA Camp du Nord, in Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA). Situated just north of Ely, Minnesota (home of North Pole explorer Will Steger), the nonprofit Camp du Nord gives homeschooling families an annual opportunity to supplement their learning in the rich and beautiful textbook of the northern wilderness. The young campers may not recognize the lessons as physics or mathematics, but that's exactly what they're getting: Building a luge run out of packed snow and ice is physics disguised as fun, while estimating the volume of water a giant icicle will produce is mathematics masquerading as entertainment.

Established in 1999, Camp du Nord is adjacent to the million-acre wilderness of the BWCA wilderness. During the "Home-School du Nord" program, families stay for five days, bunking in log cabins and eating in a dining hall on the shore of Lake Burntside. The family center, a large log cabin with a fireplace built of unworked stone, is the site for the opening campfire gathering. It is here that Larry Houghton, one of the program's leaders, helps the group plan its schedule.

Dogsledding is a perennial favorite among the campers. "It's so different from anything they've ever done," says Houghton. He feels there is a kind of mystique to the event, and the dogs have a lot to do with it - once hooked up to a sled, they become frenetic, jumping straight up in the air, howling and whining until given permission to run. At that point they go silent, focused on their job of pulling the sled. This is a form of transportation that requires no motor but relies heavily on trust between a team of dogs and their musher.

The second most requested activity, says Houghton, is the sauna. In a tiny wooden building at the top of a ramp extending into the lake is a traditional Finnish sauna, complete with a wood-burning stove that heats a room to more than 150 degrees F. Clad in bathing suits, families scrunch together, chatting, singing, and sweating. Waiting outside for them is a hole in the ice covering the lake. A brave participant exits the sauna and - steam wafting from his or her body - sprints down the ramp to the hole, where two strong staff members each grab an arm and quickly dip their charge in and out of the chilly water. You can imagine the gasps and squeals echoing across the tundra.

Anne Gregory-Bjorklund, who homeschools her son, Willy, appreciates the camaraderie she feels during the week at Camp du Nord. "It's nice to have the support of people doing the same thing I am," she says. "The fellowship is quite wonderful." Robyn Cook, who has participated with her husband and two children since 1999, also enjoys the affirmation she finds at camp. "Our friendships grow each year. We get more open with each other and more comfortable. Besides homeschooling issues, it's nice to talk about ordinary parenting stuff, like what to look for in the teenage years." A week at the camp also provides these families with a break from routine. Gregory-Bjorklund, who is responsible for the bulk of Willy's instruction, appreciates the chance her husband gets to be more involved. "During the year, it's mostly moms and kids. Here, it's nice for dads to have a different dimension."

Lessons from Mother Nature
Camp du Nord is a classroom stocked with materials you cannot order from a catalog - the unique environment of the north woods. Survival in this harsh climate is a unit of study in itself. Families witness animals enduring an extreme climate, such as deer navigating through three feet of snow.

Houghton enjoys watching the students learn how certain animals adapt. If the children are lucky, a white-coated ermine may dart across their snowshoe path, and a counselor can point out that, four months earlier, that fur coat was mostly chocolate-brown. "Then," Houghton says, eyes sparkling, "the question to ask the children is, 'Why?'"

The children also study the lives of the Ojibwa, the native people who not only thrived in this difficult land but preserved it for future generations, such as these 21st-century campers. Modern-day residents who make this part of the country their home year-round are invited to speak at camp. Jim Schwartz, a wolf specialist, is a favorite - his passion for wolves and their return from near-extinction permeates his presentation, which includes paw prints and fur as well as descriptions of unique wolf characteristics, such as their intimate care of their young and an intriguing repertoire of haunting howls.

It is the howling that appeals most to the kids. Schwartz does not settle for a few whimpers or yips from his audience - he is looking for high-pitched, drawn-out cries that rise slowly and hang on until a breath must be taken. Then he takes the whole group out onto the frozen lake under the moon, where they practice their howling in hopes of being answered by the local wolf pack.

No Time for Cliques
When homeschooled children get together, they are generally not interested in constructing boundaries according to gender and age. Opportunities to interact with peers are somewhat limited for children who do not attend the neighborhood school, so they tend to make the most of their time together. This is the case at Camp du Nord. The children's ability to mix with others makes their parents proud. Robyn Cook was delighted that a 15-year-old boy befriended her 10-year-old son, Colin. "They had a lot of fun, and Colin felt accepted," she said. "That is not going to happen in too many places, without the older boy being conscious of the age difference." If there is any complaint, it is that, with so many activities to participate in, exhaustion can set in near week's end. After a day outdoors, the children could use an early bedtime, but they cannot keep themselves away from the evening's socializing. The dining hall becomes the entertainment center, where the night owls get together to play cards and board games and to pop corn in the oversized cooker.

On some nights, there are performances. A talent show is now an established tradition. It allows homeschoolers, many of whom are exceptional musicians, a chance to share their talents with a larger group. Then there is the Silly Human Tricks hour, in which campers can show off unique talents. Houghton recalls, "There was a camper with exceptionally long arms, who could 'jump rope' through them. Another twosome was able to sing any theme song or Top 40 hit from the 1970s to today. Campers would shout out, 'You'll never get this one!' and they would know it."

Another favorite activity is a theatrical game called Freeze Out, which the teens in the group usually get rolling. A small group creates a scene and continues improvising until someone in the audience says, "Freeze," tags out one of the performers, and comes in to shift the scene. This game allows people to show a different side of themselves. One dad, until then thought quiet and shy, now bears the nickname "Bronco Billy" for his breakout performance in the dining hall.

Budding Naturalists
Without exception, parents regard Camp du Nord as a golden opportunity to get their children out into nature. Many of the families come from urban areas, and the camp provides a big dose of the outdoors. Robyn Cook appreciates what this does for her children.

"At camp they have a sense of freedom and an appreciation of nature," she explains. "They let go of city awareness - its threats and concerns." Anne Gregory-Bjorklund agrees: "Being outdoors more often is a big plus. It fills something inside of us. It's spirituality at a different level." Parthy McCandless, who attends with her husband and two daughters, says that nature "brings out the best in them and helps them grow as people. They challenge themselves physically, which builds self-esteem."

Parents also recognize the educational benefits of the outdoors. Camp activities can serve to complement the curriculum at home. After returning from Camp du Nord, McCandless used Jean Craighead George's novel Julie of the Wolves (HarperCollins) as an extension of their homeschooling curriculum for one of her daughters, whose interest was piqued by the Jim Schwartz's presentation on wolves. She also appreciated the opportunity her daughters had to see women - such as the female dog-musher - working outdoors. "Usually, these role models are male. It was nice for them to see women interested in science, the outdoors, and physical work." Families who choose homeschooling are accustomed to making choices that do not go along with the mainstream, and this binds them into a supportive community. Camp du Nord is an ideal setting for such a group. It is set in an environment that offers unique lessons better left to risk takers - and those willing to learn with and from each other.

For more information see YMCA Camp du Nord's website at www.dunord.org

Gretchen Glenny Damon is a teacher and freelance writer. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with her husband and two children. This year, the family will pay its fifth visit to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.