Calvert Visits New Mexico with the World Leadership School

WITH THE WORLD LEADERSHIP SCHOOL

This past October’s trip to New Mexico was an extraordinary experience. Kelley Schultheis, Sandry Sachar, John Babcock, and twelve Seventh and Eighth Grade students boarded a plane and headed southwest to the rose-colored, diverse terrain of New Mexico. The weeklong trip was open to Seventh and Eighth Graders interested in learning about leadership development and sustainability, as well as the indigenous foods and culture of the area.

The unique opportunity was created through Calvert’s partnership with the World Leadership School, an organization that partners with K-12 schools to reimagine learning and create next-generation leaders. Students were able to work with an indigenous community to learn about the rich cultures within the United States, specifically in New Mexico.

Students and faculty began their journey by working with a member of the Flowering Tree Permaculture Institute, a non-profit organization established to educate people on different techniques and methods of healthy lifestyles. The Flowering Tree offered opportunities to examine different practices of harvesting foods and to learn about traditional foods of the Pueblo people.

Under the guidance of Roxanne Swentzell, one of the founding members of Flowering Tree, students learned how to husk corn. Due to the conditions in the high desert, corn is one of the most plentiful plant-foods grown in New Mexico. When harvesting, students removed the outermost layer of the husks. Together they separated seed corn from grinding corn, as well as sorted the husks based on future use such as tamale wrappers or as fire starters. Students learned the technique to remove, roast, and grind the kernels by using a bicycle-powered machine. After a hard day’s work, the group gathered to taste Atole, a traditional warm drink made from the blue corn that they had processed. Atole in New Mexico is finely ground into cornmeal and toasted for cooking, served as a grainy porridge-style drink. To make it a tad sweeter, Roxanne added

a hint of honey. Not only was it delicious, but also students had a first-hand appreciation of all the steps that went into making it! Students also learned how to separate amaranth seed, weave rope from yucca, and make clay pots.

When students were not at Flowering Tree, they spent their days camping in the rugged terrain of Bandelier National Monument in Los Alamos. The campsite encompasses miles of mountainous views amid the canyons and mesas. For breakfast, students collaboratively built a toasty fire that allowed them to cook biscuits on a stick. The opportunity brought students closer to nature, their peers, and afforded the time to enhance life skills. Ms. Schultheis commented, “As a teacher, my heart was warmed to see students working together to make a fire and some of them learning to cook over a fire for the very first time.” In addition to camping and learning about indigenous cultures, the World Leadership School curriculum allowed opportunities for self-reflection, team building, and leadership. Each day was led by a different team of students that would guide the group through games, reflections, and writing in the daily blog.

This was the first year Calvert students and faculty explored New Mexico’s vibrant communities and terrain. These irreplaceable opportunities will forever leave a lasting impression on the students.