TREMONT, Tenn. — Over a dozen high school students are getting the opportunity to go beyond the classroom and into nature's creation.
From their classrooms in North Knoxville, to the nature trails in the Smokies, the Tremont Great Smoky Mountains Institute is teaching teenagers how to appreciate the beauty of their own backyard.
It’s called the Fulton Environmental & Community Leaders Fellowship. It was started just last year, and the teens involved love every serene second.
"So coming here and feeling the fresh air and talking to fresh people and getting to know everyone and to know nature and everything, it's amazing," Daphne, a senior at Fulton High School said. She’s in her second year of the program.
Daphne is just one of the Fulton High school students learning to celebrate the outdoors, though.
"A lot of different places they don't have amazing opportunities like this or get out to see nature like this at all," Daphne emphasized.
Fulton is the only school in Knox County part of the fellowship. It's a two-year program exclusively for seniors like Daphne and Juniors like Jeremiah Householder.
"Nothing comes close to what we've done here in just four or five days alone," Householder explained.
The guides love seeing that spark with nature.
"But then you get to see it develop and grow throughout the year and you get to see the students take ownership of their community and the health and well-being of their community," Caleb Carlton, the development manager at the institute, explained.
The students have to apply, and it's all funded through money raised by the Tremont Institute and groups like Hike the Smokies.
"It does all of our hearts good to know that we might even change somebody's life,” Joe Guenther, the founder and admin of the Hike the Smokies online group, said. “It may be a life-changing event for them. It may change a different career path and think maybe it's something to do with the outdoors."
The kids spend at least 10 days during the program camping and learning. The goal is to bring what they learned back home.
"How do we make Knoxville a place where everybody can get outside and play and wonder in nature all around us," Carlton said.
They leave recharged and ready to return.
"So this is definitely a great experience for your soul and your mentality and for the environment," Daphne said.
"I'm counting down the days until next year," Householder admitted.
The students will be back from their 5-day stay in the Smokies Sunday, Aug. 18.
This program is still new and relies fully on donations. If you would like to contribute, click here.