Conversations in Temagami
Posted on 02. Aug, 2010 by James in Mentors' Blog
What do you get when you combine 16 youth from the GTA with the raw elements of Northern Ontario? I usually expect grumblings aimed at long portages or the constant flux between bugs and rain. However, my most recent batch of campers revealed an acute interest in global environmental and social issues.
You know how a good conversation takes on an evolving life of its own? That’s pretty much what happened. There I was with 13, 14, and 15 year-olds talking about the weather (actually) when I started slipping into a lesson on oceanic pollution. Everyone had heard about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and so everyone was able to contribute in some way to the discussion, which transferred to local environmental issues and, inevitably, to social justice. It was very cool to understand the perspective from my campers on poverty and wealth distribution, as well as conflict in general.
I’ll admit, it’s kind of unnerving to have the full attention of a group of young people while discussing these complex topics. On the one hand I want to share what I have learned in school and experienced abroad, but on the other I want to avoid locking these kids into my one perspective. All I hope for is that the campers have left with a head full of questions and a yearning for answers.
I love canoe trips
