“I always liked the outdoors,” he said. “I studied forest engineering at ESF and stayed.” He was a teacher and guidance counselor for the Syracuse City School District. Four years ago he left to found Orenda Springs, an experiential learning program on 140 acres.
Why? “As a teacher,” Powers said, “I realized that it was important for students to get out of the classroom so for years I took students on field trips. Many only see the four blocks around their house and what is on TV and there is no connection to the outside world. Research shows that attention deficit disorder, obesity, mental health issues can be traced back to the lack of outdoor activity.
“I took a big financial leap to get this thing going,” he continued. “The biggest challenge to me as a teacher is that kids are not learning – not because they are stupid but because they bring a condition for failure. Rather than try and come out losing they just quit. A lot are two or three years behind grade level.”
Powers latest addition to his program is horses and cross country skiing. When we talked last week, students from Blodgett Middle School in Syracuse had just left. He described their visit:
“At first they couldn’t even touch a horse, they were scared. We had them groom them, touch them, feed them, lead them and eventually ride them. Two girls refused to get on the back of a horse. By the end of the day all of their teammates encouraged them. You should have seen their faces. It was as if they had climbed Everest.”
For Powers this is his reward. “We try to turn kids around to make them believe in themselves. There’s tons of research that shows the greatest indicator of success is not IQ but their self motivation,” he said. “We give kids opportunities to build on success.”
What is Orenda Springs? It is a nature lover’s paradise with woods, miles of trails, ravines, streams and a pond. There is a large indoor horse riding arena, a rock-climbing wall, group camping sites and a ropes course. School groups from throughout Onondaga County have spent time there. Leadership training for adults is also offered so that they may be helped to work together and achieve common goals.
Winter brings new opportunities for students. “Cross country skiing is very challenging and hard for most of them,” Powers said, “as it is their first time and they are out in the country, they are out in the woods.”
Every Friday, students who attend Carnegie School, an alternative high school in Syracuse, spend the day at Orenda Springs. “Recently they have been mucking out stalls, working very hard,” Powers said.
Helping him is his family: wife, Olga, a native of Australia, and their two daughters, Mary, 17, and Julie, 12, both students in Marcellus. The girls were the horse trainers during last week’s vacation.
“The greatest need today is with children who live in cities. Programs such as Orenda Springs changes kids’ lives every day,” Powers said. “They themselves say ‘If I can do this, I can do anything.’ Success builds success. If you build on success they get confidence and that builds more successes.”
To learn more and view photos you may log on to: www.orendasprings.com
