LEADING ON THE SALMON RIVER

The Salmon River in Idaho is one of the longest undammed rivers in the US, and our Alzar students spent five days floating the lower section for our fall outdoor expedition.

The fall river stage is typically clear, but this year the river was chocolate brown. The upper stretches of the river had received thunderstorms and heavy amounts of rain which created landslides and deposited massive amounts of silt, clay and dirt into the river. This process is very natural and did not impede our progress down the river.

The Lower Salmon River’s beaches and environment is an ideal venue for allowing Alzar School students to practice leadership. Instructors specifically teach our “10 Elements of Leadership” curriculum in a variety of settings. Students are responsible for implementing their ideas and leading the group for the day.

Leadership training on the river allows students to make decisions for themselves, and for the larger group. The experience begins to shape their understanding of leadership and allows them to serve the group through their “leader of the day” (LOD) experiences. These experiences will begin to provide them with the skills necessary for their culminating leadership projects upon their return home.

-Sam Goff