​Day 4: Rooted Together STEAM in the PARK — Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Today’s photo captures two trees—one rough and ridged, the other dark and bristled—growing so close they’ve become intertwined. Different species, different textures, different stories—but growing side by side, reaching upward, together.

That’s what today felt like.

We kicked off the morning with the Amazing Race for Climate Change—a wild, team-powered adventure through the forest that challenged our minds, our feet, and our understanding of what it means to be part of a solution. From decoding clues to racing through facts about renewable energy, carbon footprints, and conservation heroes, we brought the energy (and maybe a little friendly competition too).

Then we hit the water—kayaking beneath a canopy of green, laughing when we zigzagged, spun in circles, or (yep!) fell out. Every splash was a reminder that science isn’t confined to labs or classrooms—it’s out here, in the current, in the connections, in the shared experience.

We hiked to waterfalls, letting the cool mist hit our faces, pausing to journal, sketch, and breathe. It’s here—on the trail and on the water—that the magic of this week continues to unfold.

We came here as strangers—from different states, with different lives. But now we’ve walked the same paths, paddled the same river, and cheered each other on through the unknown. Like those two trees, we’ve grown side by side this week. We’ve learned from each other. We've rooted ourselves in this shared experience.

And we’re becoming a forest—a family of educators, adventurers, and dreamers who know that together, we’re stronger.