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During the weekend of the 5th of July, students from Chertsey High School, Hoe Valley School, Marshalls Park Academy, Passmores Academy, The John Fischer School, The Mountbatten School, and Ratton School embarked on their journey to a PGL centre in Liddington, Swindon to begin their Into the Wild weekend.
Secondary students from various schools were grouped into several activity groups with both old and new faces. The weekend is a brilliant opportunity for students to demonstrate all four Yes Futures Talents, Confidence, Resilience, Communication, and Self-Awareness, as well as an opportunity to push themselves to overcome challenges that they never expected.
Consequently, Into the Wild proved to be an opportunity for students to develop their leadership skills and engage in teamwork.
Day One of Into the Wild began with a Welcome Challenge, a Scavenger Hunt, where students were encouraged to get to know one another as well as, explore the expansive grounds of the PGL site.
It was great to see students running around searching for specific items, work on their communication skills and getting to know each other and their strengths.
Day Two of Into the Wild showcased the students ability to use communication and teamwork to accomplish tasks.
Some students displayed resilience by conquering fears of Climbing up or Abseiling down large walls and self-awareness by encouraging each other to complete each activity and to do their best, while other students engaged in different activities such as Problem-Solving and Survivor.
In this, students had to to use their communication skills and intellectual prowess to solve problems and come up with shelters that would be able to sustain the environmental pressures of being in the wilderness.
The Final Day of Into the Wild was the the Showcase Challenge, providing each student with an opportunity to express themselves and utilise their creativity.
The purpose of this challenge is to engage in teamwork and group-reflection on the importance of the weekend. The showcase required the use of all four Talents.
There is no doubt that each student who participated in the Into the wild weekend left with a sense of pride and empowerment as they not only displayed the talents Yes Futures seeks to develop, but also each student was able to prove to themselves that they are able to “survive" in the wild.
