Summer camp gets all the attention.

But the outdoor education camp that happens during the school year is what leaves a lasting impression.

Every year, 4,500 students from all over Southern California — including kids in the Coachella Valley — visit Pathfinder Ranch in Mountain Center.

This is the place where they learn about geology while scrambling over rocks on a hike. It's where physics lessons coincide with archery. It's where kids encourage each other up a climbing wall and learn to never, ever say that four-letter “F” word — fall.

And, of course, it's where bunkmates become best friends.

For many kids, this camp is the highlight of the school year. And for teachers, it is an opportunity for classroom lessons to become real.

Fifth-grade teacher Cynthia Stern from Amelia Earhart Elementary School in Indio has been taking her classes to Pathfinder for the past nine years.

She says the buzz begins about a year in advance.

“It's a huge thing,” Stern says. “It's like tradition. Their older siblings have all gone to camp, and they've heard about it from older students.”

Each school selects the curriculum for their time at Pathfinder. Courses include things like freshwater ecology, where the kids get to test the water quality in the camp's lake, and ethnobotany, where they learn about Native American culture and their usage of local plants.

The students often use a study journal during their camp stay. What they learn at Pathfinder is then implemented in science classes once they return to school.

“These lessons stick with them because it's all hands-on,” Stern says.

“They're actually putting pine needles in water bottles to create pine tea. They're scooping minnows out of the pond.”

A shared adventure

Pathfinder Ranch was established in 1966 to provide an escape from the summer heat for the boys of Palm Springs.

The Science and Outdoor Education Program began in the 1970s. It has since evolved into a large-scale program with learning opportunities on every inch of the camp's 72 acres.

During their stay, kids enjoy canoeing, horseback riding, archery and hiking. For some, this is their first time playing in a forest, splashing in a lake or getting up close to a horse.

“I really believe this is the kind of experience that allows kids to be kids, and that's important,” says Nick Zielinski, the camp's program director.

Such experiences teach the kids lessons they wouldn't always receive in the classroom.

“They go there as a bunch of fifth-graders. But they come back being Earhart's fifth grade,” Stern says. “It's the most phenomenal team builder.

“It's an adventure, but most importantly, it's a shared adventure.”

Maggie Downs is a features reporter for The Desert Sun. She can be reached at (760) 778-6435 or maggie.downs@thedesertsun.com.