Aynah trips are kind of like cooperative summer camp on wheels. Which sounds like the best thing ever. It’s also really hard. Several people having fun in a van talking about cooperation and social justice on long drives requires careful planning and intention. And also some times when you don’t plan or use any intention. We did some things really well this time around. We also fell short a number of times. In both cases we did a lot of learning. Here are our takeaways for future cooperative education experiences:
Orient Yourselves – Leave ample time at the beginning of the trip for folks to get to know each other and understand what they’re all bringing to the space. As tempting as it is to just jump right into the heart of what we’re learning about, group learning isn’t going to go well if the group hasn’t formed well.
Form a Knowledge Base – An introductory workshop on the topic of the trip is essential. Identify some basic knowledge everyone should have before the trip starts, turn it into a set of learning goals, and then create a space to achieve those goals together. Make it long enough to really dig into questions and insights that come up. 
Check-In Often – At least once daily, create a space for folks to talk to each other about how things are going. Is there more basic information folks are wanting now that things have really started? How is everyone feeling? What things are going well? What could go better? Cooperation, justice, and group dynamics are all tough journeys, not one time events. Make sure you’re headed in the direction you want to be headed.
Create an Equitable Basic Living Situation – Figure out everyone’s needs for sustenance, comfort, health, and happiness. Find the highest common denominator between them and make sure that is the standard of living for your trip. Be careful not to call out anyone’s specific needs in creating this. 
Move! – Lots of folks will give presentations that involve a lot of sitting and standing for young cooperators. Make sure to include some workshops or skill shares that involve more movement, play some games to start and end your day, and/or include walking/hiking in your daily schedule. It’s not really an experience if you’re passively taking it all in.
Keep a Basic Physical Care Kit Handy – Sometimes people fall when you’re trying to take the perfect group jumping picture. Sometimes they have sinus issues and struggle with a neti pot. As a leader, you should have access to basic first aid and cold care necessities for the little stuff that comes up. Being healthy is a necessary first step to doing some serious learning. 
Vary Your Perspectives – Learning requires variety, especially when you’re digging into complex topics like cooperation and social justice. Prepare to engage in experiences that represent different understandings of the world, and potentially even contradict each other. Definitely make sure to experience examples of all the things you want students to take away. If they don’t experience it, they probably aren’t going to learn it.
Have Some Flexible Fun – Having fun is a given. We’re talking about cooperative summer camp on wheels, remember? But fun is different for everybody. Schedule some free time into your itinerary. Also schedule some intentional flex time that can be free or used for a fun group activity or can result in a spontaneous learning experience you plan together. Concrete plans and a mostly fixed itinerary make it possible to achieve learning goals. Some flexible fun time mixed in is what’s going to make the trip memorable and worth re-creating.
Expect and Accept a Lack
of Closure – It’s not going to go perfectly. Not this time. Not any time. Everyone will be left with things they still want to know more about, things they wish they’d had more time for. This is all part of the education journey. Don’t try to create a perfect experience, try to create a worthwhile experience. Then learn what you can and embark on the wonderful life journey of constant improvement. What kind of educators would we be if we didn’t take our own learning seriously? 
Aynah 