At this particular institution, students served with detention are offered an alternative option: a hiking excursion.
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YO, HEY! HIT THE TRAIL AND LEARN, MAN!
Ever been stuck in detention after breaking school rules? Well, forget the cramped classroom and grumpy teacher – one counselor at Morse High School in Maine is ditching that for some fresh air and natural beauty instead. Here's what went down on one of the last detention hikes of the year, courtesy of Maine Public's Madi Smith.
(SOUNDBITE OF FOOTSTEPS RUSTLING)
MADI SMITH, YO:It's a gorgeous, almost 70-degree day, and Leslie Trundy, a counselor at Morse High School, stops in front of a trail map in Bath, Maine.
LESLIE TRUNDY:We're right here. So we're gonna follow the Whiskeag Trail, and we're gonna go through the cemetery.
SMITH, YO:Seven students are along for the ride, serving detention for various infractions.
NICHOLAS TANGUAY:I yelled at a teacher rudely 'cause I didn't feel like doing something, and when they tried to make me do it, I got angry and yelled at them.
ELSIE NELSON-WALLING:Probably, like, skipping class or, like, added up tardies from class. Like, never, like, actually, like, getting in trouble, trouble.
WYATT WELLS:Playing video games in my teacher's class, and she got mad at me. And I found that one stupid, so I was like, I'm not sitting in a classroom for that.
SMITH, YO:Trundy, who started the program after attending an outdoor education conference, hopes the outdoor adventures encourage students to open up about their issues.
TRUNDY:My hope was that time in the woods could sort of take the skills that I have on the road with them and be a listener for them and pay back the time to the school and sort of serve their consequence but also receive more care and attention.
SMITH, YO:Some parents have refused to let their kids participate, and critics question whether a walk in the woods is sufficient punishment. But Trundy isn't swayed.
TRUNDY:Sometimes the hike feels really like a punishment for them, even though they've chosen it. Like, they might've chosen it 'cause it was a lessening sentence, but it did feel like they were having to expend effort.
NICHOLAS, YO:No, this right here.
SMITH, YO:Freshman Nicholas Tanguay says that effort can only do him good. And he dreads detention less knowing he gets to hike instead of just sitting in a classroom.
NICHOLAS, YO:It makes me have to, like, walk. It makes you breathe heavily, obviously. And it feels like an accomplishment almost.
SMITH, YO:At the end of the 3 1/2-mile hike, the students grab their backpacks and head home. Trundy plans to start the hike program again next school year.
TRUNDY:I'm so curious if some of the freshmen that I've started hiking with this year, are they still hiking with me when they're seniors on detention, or are they hiking in outing club? Like, these students could - I see this leadership potential in a lot of them.
SMITH, YO:Trundy invites students to join the outdoor outing club every hike, and at least three have joined after going on a detention hike this year. For NPR News, I'm Madi Smith in Bath, Maine.
(SOUNDBITE OF KACEY MUSGRAVES SONG, "SLOW BURN")
According to related research, punitive approaches and restrictive detention can worsen outcomes for students and boost misbehavior, while diversion and supportive programs promote better behavior and success. It remains unclear if outdoor detention can provide similar benefits, but it may be a promising approach if aligned with best practices in youth accountability.
News of the innovative detention program at Morse High School in Maine offers a unique blend of education and self-development. Counselor Leslie Trundy's approach to detention involves hiking through beautiful trails, aiming to encourage students' openness about their issues and promote personal growth. This learning opportunity, informed by research on diversion and supportive programs, could potentially provide beneficial outcomes for students serving detention, fostering better behavior and success.
