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The following guest opinion was written by Cerise Ibach, a site supervisor for court and community schools working out of the Humboldt Office of Education.

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I moved to Humboldt for college back in August 2000. I stayed because I fell in love with the weather, the people, and the redwoods. As much as I love Humboldt, one of the biggest disadvantages it has is being detached from the rest of California. Our isolation is one of the reasons why we keep Humboldt so beautiful and full of nature, but unfortunately for our students, the isolation becomes its curse.

During the winter, I was fortunate enough to attend the Brown Issues Policy Boot Camp in Sacramento with two students from Eureka Community School. The Brown Issues Policy Boot Camp is an interactive two-day experience where students expand their knowledge of the California legislative process and learn about key policy issues that impact communities of color. Students that attend have the opportunity to hear about the role of the state legislature and to hear from community leaders and policy makers about education, mental health and community organizing. The experience I had in Sacramento was absolutely wonderful not only for the students that were present, but for myself as well. Seeing the presenters and the workshops gave students a hands-on experience that few schools have the opportunity to embrace.

In my time as an educator I have found that Humboldt County students are separated from other educational opportunities provided to the rest of California schools. The closest major city to Humboldt is Redding, which is three hours away, so most at-risk students are unable to travel outside their community. My students from Eureka Community School not only enjoyed a trip out of their home city, but they were able to build social networks with other youth and professionals. Students that are not necessarily friendly or interactive with others in their school, were working in team building exercises and laughing during activities. Our Humboldt students connected strongly with students from Sacramento, Stockton, and the Bay Area. They exchanged social media profiles and discussed the potential for future field trips.

Students present were able to hear about career opportunities at the camp. One of the Boot Camp facilitators made the announcement to the group of students that he participated in the Boot camp several years prior and that the experience inspired him to study public policy. He eventually applied for a position at the Capitol and was hired the day before his workshop. He now had the honor of speaking with the students about his journey as a professional and how important it was for him to speak to the new class of high schoolers and come full circle to the Policy Boot Camp experience.

By far, the greatest aspect of the conference was the robust civic engagement. Students were able to debate two different bills on the senate floor. The first topic was whether or not to ban red dye 5, a chemical infamously used in Hot Cheetos (a favorite amongst high school students). The other topic was a funding bill on age appropriate mental health curriculum. All of the students had something to say about the topics. There were students who saw the business side of some of the issues, students who had personal experience with mental health services, and students that simply love Hot Cheetos. I was in awe watching students that I work with exchange ideas and arguments with other high school students

The Brown Issues Policy Boot Camp was one of the best field trips that I have ever had the privilege to take students on. They were able to step into the capitol as more than just tourists, but participants in the democratic process. They collaborated with experienced law makers and staff members. They connected with other students in California and were able to represent student voices. It was a proud time for me as an educator and I look forward to next year’s camp.

No matter how beautiful Humboldt is, it’s always good to get out of town and see the rest of the world. This is not only true for us educators, but especially important for students as well.