Engaging high school students isn’t easy—especially when it comes to encouraging them to try new things or engage with hands-on learning.
But with climate change accelerating and global supply chains growing increasingly vulnerable, traditional skills like food production and land-based knowledge are more vital than ever.
That’s why, in the first week of March, Leland and Gray offered a three-day, project-based intensive course centered on maple syrup production.
We called the course Boiling Point: A Maple Mastery—an immersion experience hosted at the Rafters Lodge in Jamaica, Vermont by the Hazelton Family.
With perfect sugaring weather, students got to fully immerse themselves in each step of the process, gaining hands-on experience and a deep appreciation for the effort that goes into producing maple syrup.
Six students attended the course under the leadership of Drew Hazelton, Jenna Webb, Steve Ovenden, and myself.
Leading up to the event, I wasn’t sure how students would react to being off-grid or taking on the demanding tasks involved in collecting sap and turning it into syrup. But by the end, I realized just how motivating maple syrup could be.
But enjoying maple syrup was only a byproduct of the course. In actuality, it was the students who rose to the occasion—proving just how impactful hands-on, land-based learning can be.
Braving the rain and trekking through steep hills covered in knee-deep snow, every student dug deep and made the most of the experience.
As one student reflected, "I feel that programs like this can trigger layers of inspiration... in future jobs or through art. It creates a new atmosphere which creates new brilliant ideas."
This quote gets to the heart of why Farm to School programming matters.
By stepping outside the classroom and away from traditional learning models, immersive experiences open endless pathways for students to discover inspiration.
In turn, inspiration fuels motivation, and motivation drives learning.
For me, the most rewarding part of this experience was stepping back and watching that learning unfold—independent of instruction.
Whether it’s learning how to identify trees, recognizing the unique traits that characterize each species, or uncovering the rich history each one holds—the forest will always be the best teacher.
As we helped make syrup come to life through evaporation, hard work and patience were at the top of the curriculum in lessons learned.
In the end, we couldn’t have asked for a more well-rounded experience.
The weather cooperated fully, allowing students to engage deeply in every step of the process and walk away with a newfound appreciation for the syrup on their plate the next time they dig into a stack of pancakes.
As one student put it, "It teaches them to respect the hard work that goes into making products—also, it teaches them the old ways."
In the end, it seems this is what the students were most hungry for:
An opportunity to independently discover what it means to have a hand in producing their own food.
To step beyond the confines of the classroom and absorb lessons at their own pace.
And a chance to join the ranks of countless Vermonters before them in the sacred practice of making maple syrup.
Written by Devan Monette
Want to see the students in action? Watch this short video and feel free to like and share!