Recently, eleven-year-old Logan went camping for the first time with his classmates from The Learning Tree Cultural Preparatory School.
For a boy from the Bronx, used to street lights and concrete sidewalks, sleeping in a tent and communing with nature in the Berkshires of Massachusetts was unfamiliar territory.
As Logan noted in an interview in the school newsletter, “At first, I was nervous because when I heard it was in the woods, I started thinking about big animals—like wolves and coyotes!”
Potentially even more scary, Logan and his fellow students had to go on a hike in the dark.
“During the night hike, I couldn’t see anything,” Logan said. “So, I started humming peaceful songs in my head to keep calm. It helped me feel safe and focused while walking through the dark. That’s how I made it through the night hike.”
In fact, Logan displayed such strength and perseverance that he was named a firekeeper, an honor recognizing students who demonstrate leadership, cooperation, and a positive attitude.
Having opportunities such as camping is one of the reasons Logan’s mom, Mickelia, chose The Learning Tree, where students regularly enjoy enrichment experiences exposing them to cultures outside their immediate neighborhoods.
As she told CSF, “I just want him to excel and be a well-rounded person. I want him to be a smart and confident person. I want him to know himself and his background, and learn things I never did.”
A single mom, Mickelia is doubtful she could afford tuition without a CSF scholarship, but she has always been certain that The Learning Tree is the right school for Logan.
“I love that the classrooms are small, and teachers love what they do,” Mickelia said. “Logan is learning so much more than the kids [who live] around him are.”
With CSF assistance, Logan has been enrolled at The Learning Tree in Kindergarten. Now in sixth grade, his favorite subjects are social studies and Spanish.
“The longer he’s been there, the better for him. It feels like a little community,” Mickelia noted. “I can walk into the school and have three people immediately ask me about Logan. I think this sense of community has helped him excel.”
Echoing his mom’s thoughts on the value of community, Logan reflected on being named a firekeeper on his camping trip, saying, “I was respectful and showed teamwork with my group, and that’s what helped me get chosen.”