Adventures with Northwest Passage
A unique high school inspired — and led — by Icaghowan alumni
As featured in Letters from Camp – Fall 2024.
What do a charter school and YMCA Camp Icaghowan have in common?
As it turns out, a whole lot more than you might think.
Jason Olson was a first-year counselor at Camp Icaghowan in 1995 and shared a significant moment from that summer.
“My first year, my first cabin, I had a camper who was a terror. He didn’t get camp, wasn’t excited about camp and he made our lives miserable. My co-counselor and I did our best all week but I felt out of my depth and wondered what I got myself into. I also had poison ivy all over my legs and towards the end of the week, I had to go to the hospital because of the blisters.”
“When I got back to camp, the first camper I saw was him. He came running up to me and threw his arms around me and said, ‘oh my gosh, I was so worried about you! Are you ok?’ In that moment, I realized you don’t always get the instant recognition, you don’t always witness the impact you have on others. It comes out in surprising ways. I never saw him again, but that moment was so powerful and was part of how I decided on my future career.”
Jason would go on to work five summers at Icaghowan and then five years full time before leaving camp to become a teacher at Northwest Passage High School in 2005.
He’s not the only Icaghowan staff member to follow that path.
“We jokingly refer to the school as the home for wayward camp staff. There are a lot of us.”
Camp Icaghowan has become a transformative inspiration for Northwest Passage High School in Coon Rapids, and the school has returned the favor; a source of impactful relationships, volunteer service, new campers, and future staff.
Founded in 1999, Northwest Passage High School (NWPHS) is a charter school serving students in grades 9-12, the educational focus is on project based and experiential learning.
Peter Wieczorek was on the Icaghowan staff from 1996-2004 and is currently serving as board chair. When he was the program director, he developed the teen leadership program. His close friend Jamie Steckart was director of Northwest Passage and in 2000 approached Peter about bringing students
to camp to go through the leadership program. That was the beginning of what would become
a lasting partnership.
There are countless stories of the impact camp has on the individuals who get to experience camp as a camper, staff, parent or volunteer. But in this case, the profound effect of camp has shaped
an entire school.
Northwest Passage would continue to bring students to camp each year for leadership development. Peter recruited fellow Icaghowan alum Jason and Chuck Hoppe to join the Northwest teaching
staff in 2004.
Peter, along with Jamie and the other members of the original NWPHS team, wanted to transform the school model, using camp as the inspiration. “Building community, the cabin experience, circles, reflection after doing things, being outside, outdoor learning, hands on learning, expeditions. I knew how impactful the trips were at camp, and we wanted to see that in a school.” In 2010 Peter became the director of NWPHS.
NWPHS students are divided into small group advisories. The school website describes them as small communities “where students collaborate, communicate, and create, with and alongside their peers.” Advisors are coaches, mentors, educators, and role models “working together with the students to create a welcoming and inclusive environment.”
If that reminds you of a cabin at camp, it’s not a coincidence.
Also from the school website: “At Northwest Passage High School we believe learning is not confined to a classroom or textbook. We believe in being curious, asking questions, pursuing passions, and learning from our experiences, whether from the people and community around us or on learning expeditions far from home. Expeditions are an opportunity to be immersed in learning experiences and life lessons that students take with them beyond high school.”
The school offers 25-30 learning expeditions in both wilderness and urban settings each year. Students are encouraged to go on one each year.
If that reminds you of camp trips, that’s also not a coincidence.
The school has been intentional in allowing camp to influence their educational model. In addition to Peter, Jason and Chuck (who have been on staff for nearly two decades), there is a long list of people who have been on staff at both Icaghowan and NSPHS. Leah Bauman-Smith, Cate Carlis, Ruth Hein, Nancy Hoppe, Amber Huitzilin Ortiz, Nicole Ketchem, Brooklyn Otto, Jake Porath, and Sam Wright ... to name a few.
Amber Huitzilin Ortiz shared, “Between Icaghowan and Northwest Passage, I learned a lot about how important it is to have a relationship with students, where respect is given on both sides. Those relationships make me a good teacher.”
The impact of Camp Icaghowan on Northwest Passage High School is strong. But NWPHS also impacts camp. NSPHS brings groups of volunteers to camp each year to do service work, students attend camp as campers and also work on staff. Peter said, “There is such a strong relationship between the Icaghowan and Northwest Passage communities — so much overlap with people from both worlds.”
Camp Icaghowan Executive Director Georgia Ellingson said, “We love our relationship with Northwest Passage High School. We are happy to provide a space and opportunities for students to participate in hands-on learning outdoors. Whether they are trekking through the snow for a winter camping expedition or helping us with spring service projects, they always bring their passion and excitement for adventure and the outdoors, while being responsible stewards of this space. The relationship with NWPHS goes back decades and we look forward to many more.”