Education Through Outdoor Learning (EOL) is replacing the Cispus counselor system that Oly has been using for years.
In previous years, students trained to be Cispus counselors before or after school. Starting next year, students who want to be counselors will take Education through Outdoor Learning and be trained in class.
EOL is intended for students interested in becoming teachers, but Akiyama stated it’s also for students interested in alternative ways to “take their love for the outdoors and learning and turn those into careers.” Instead of being the primary focus of the class, Akiyama described Cispus as being a cumulative project.
EOL is intended to replace English 3, but students in a higher level English class, like AP Lang, will have the option to take this course as a CTE credit. Sophomore Sofina Raney describes being “most excited to be able to gain English credits while also gaining skills that [she] could use later in life.”
This has stirred up controversy, as parents have wondered whether students will fall behind in English by taking EOL. Akiyama, who also teaches English 3, did not share these concerns. “The English standards are about reading things, then thinking, talking and writing about those texts,” Akiyama explained. He assured parents that “We’ll do all of those things at the same level as what we do in English three.”
To fulfill these standards, some days will be spent writing. Akiyama intends to focus on things like business and application letters as opposed to the standard essay. Other days will focus on outdoor survival and safety, things like orienteering.
Still other days will be spent practicing leadership by working with local elementary schools. “It would look like, oh, they’re just outside playing games,” Akiyama said, “but they’re experiencing them so that they’ll be ready to facilitate and lead them themselves.”
Last year, the Olympia School District limited the number of Cispus counselors at OHS to 44, a drastic decrease. Akiyama hopes EOL will increase equity. “My hope is that by seeing that the jobs they can get with parks and rec or with local camps … the kids that don’t go to Cispus would still feel like they got to be a part of something special” Akiyama explained. He added, “This class might also put pressure on the school district to allow us to bring more high schoolers next year.”
However, instead of increasing equity, some students feel EOL accomplishes the opposite.
A number of students who want to go to Cispus cannot take EOL. This includes not only current juniors, who are not being offered the class, but also sophomores without room in their schedule.
“This is a good class but it’s the wrong year to implement it,” sophomore Gretchen Hiller argued, “because a lot of people in my year didn’t get to go to Cispus because of Covid and now want to go, but can’t afford to take this class.”
Akiyama’s self-admittedly cold hearted response is that “sometimes we have to choose between two good things.” Hillier refutes this by arguing that “In previous years, [students] didn’t need to make a year-long sacrifice.”
This may be true in the sense that students didn’t need to choose between Cispus and their English or elective. However, Akiyama points out that scheduling has always been an issue, and just last year choir students were not able to attend Cispus due to scheduling conflicts.
One proposal Akiyama suggests is a Cispus club. Students in Education through Outdoor Learning would still get first priority in going to Cispus, but club members would also have the chance to apply. “Can you guarantee the people in the club will get to go to Cispus?” questioned Hillier. Like the class, a club is a long term commitment which may not be worth it if it doesn’t result in going to Cispus. In Hillier’s mind, the solution is an outdoor leadership class that is not connected to Cispus.
Akiyama encourages any students with questions, regarding either EOL or alternative ways to go to Cispus, to email him at [email protected]
