When Robyn Carlton agreed to host student volunteers from a local school, she never imagined the impact the Lookout Mountain Conservancy would have on their futures.
Thanks to a grant from Tennessee American Water Company, the conservancy partnered with The Howard School two years ago. They began with 50 students from 11th- and 12th-grade science classes, and quickly realized student interest for a more in-depth program was there.
“It was really just kind of magical how it all happened,” Carlton, CEO of the LMC, said. “Very quickly these kids learned they had to take care of each other in the woods. It was difficult for them to develop a sense of trust – that wasn’t a normal thing for most of them.”
Carlton said she quickly realized what these students needed most was a place to feel safe and comfortable letting their guard down.
“Most of these kids are pretty independent beyond their years, but the accountability at home may not be there,” she said. “What they’re really seeking is a place to belong. They needed a place to comfortably figure out what they want and need.”
As she handed one of the first students a pair of shears to clear weeds, she said she was surprised by his response when she told him she trusted him to only use them for their intended purpose.
“He was shocked and told me no one had ever said they trusted him before,” she said. “That hit me – the basic things we hear all the time or say all the time aren’t the normal for these kids.”
The LMC began an internship program due to student interest in continuing conservation efforts. Initially the program had eight interns; now it has 14. Carlton said she’d love to be able to afford 50 interns from the school.
“We pay them and we feed them,” she said. “Many of these students haven’t had a good dinner the night before, so we give them breakfast and lunch, then fruit to take home.”
In the program’s two years of existence, Carlton said she has never had any issues with the students. She has been extremely protective of them, and typically doesn’t allow other volunteers to work with them.
“They have enough people that are inconsistent in their lives,” she said with tears in her eyes. “I knew with all my heart that this was the community we needed to engage. We have the help and the resources to help invest in this community. We have a wealth of resources – it’s called safe land.”
Several former interns of the program have now graduated, and Carlton has followed their progress. Each summer and winter break when they return home, she has promised they will have a job with her as long as they are in school.
Since the creation of the internships, students are reporting they have friends who are improving their grades and school attendance so they too can work at LMC, Carlton said. She said she hopes the network will expand and reach the students she can’t.
“They just really took a lot of pride in this land,” Carlton said. “They came out when they felt that safety and could let their guard down. You could see the little kid in all of them as they grew into it, but at the same time took ownership and stepped into leadership roles. In a 60-foot ravine you have to depend on one another and learn to respect and appreciate help – and they did.”
What the LMC needs most to continue and grow the program is food and funding, Carlton said.
Anyone interested in supporting the students or the LMC can contact the office at 424-3882. The LMC has three other programs with Howard High that bring students to the conservancy to volunteer. One in particular focuses on 12th-grade students who are at risk to not graduate.