by LIBBEY HOLEWSKI
“Bravery is being unafraid of something other people are afraid of. Courage is being afraid, but strong enough to do it anyway.” -Taylor Jenkins Reid, Atmosphere.
Just last week, on Thursday, July 2nd, APEX was hosting 40 kids in day camps. On that same day, after making sure the Instructor teams were prepared for a day of “creeking” and caving, Alex and I drove into 112 degree temps to the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. Just pause for a moment here, and consider the numerous acts of courage that had to happen before we drove away at 10 am: stepping outside the AC into a sweltering sunny day, showing up at camp—perhaps on your own or with friends- to hang with a group of people you just met (courageously) three days before, putting on a helmet and headlamp to spend three hours underground in total darkness, and us having faith in our instructors to drive away while all that is happening!
We drove to D.C. that day to receive an award from The Courage Project. “The Courage Project is a bold initiative honoring everyday acts of bravery—the quiet, often unseen acts of heroism that reflect the best of the American spirit and strengthen democracy at the community level.” On Thursday evening, we mixed and mingled with fellow awardees from across the country. We met the leaders from Prism United, a youth‑centered nonprofit in southwest Alabama dedicated to providing affirming support, community connection, and mental health resources for LGBTQ+ young people in a region where such services are often scarce. We met Pastor Mike from Triadelphia, West Virginia, and Triadelphia United Methodist Church, who, following the 2025 floods near Wheeling, turned a single donation tent into a lifeline for the entire community, providing meals, day care, and eventually funding for new homes. We met the folks from Singing Resistance, which originated in Minneapolis amid the 2026 surge in immigration enforcement and the broader community response to its impacts, including widespread fear, disruption, and protest. The list goes on, and we were in awe of all the amazing people, the Cathedral itself, and our presence in the group.
On Friday, July 3rd, on the eve of America’s Anniversary, we attended an interfaith service at the National Cathedral, celebrating 250 years of the American Spirit. The Cathedral was full to capacity, but we got to sit in reserved seating for Courage Project award winners. The two-hour service completely captivated our attention, and if you know me, you won’t be surprised that I cried through the whole thing. We heard from religious leaders of all denominations about equality, freedom, justice, hope, and unity. We sang along with the choir as their voices echoed off the cathedral’s vaulted ceiling. We experienced goosebumps when Reverend Dr. Keith W. Byrd, Pastor from the Zion Baptist Church in D.C. powerfully reenacted an excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “The American Dream.” In Alex’s words and interpretation, “He boomed about the long arc of the moral universe bending towards justice, and the buoyancy of hope.”
We’d been hesitant to drive into the chaos of the city and all of the anniversary festivities. Still, after that service we were so grateful for the opportunity to pause and reflect. Throughout the service, each speaker noted that while our nation is imperfect, there are ALWAYS people courageously striving for equality, freedom, justice, hope, and unity. As the service ended and the church bells rang, we couldn’t help but feel hopeful for our country’s future.
Throughout these powerful events, Alex and I were humbled, pondering how our small, outdoor education program stood up alongside these powerhouses of courage and bravery. When we told a fellow awardee from the Singing Resistance in Minneapolis who we were, she asked, “So did you respond to a crisis or emergency?” We said no. But upon reflection, is our disconnect from the natural world NOT a crisis? How about our disconnect from face-to-face human connection? Or our propensity to stay home where things are comfortable and safe, rather than stepping outside of our comfort zones through challenging outdoor adventures? At APEX, we offer all these opportunities, and each one takes a lot of courage. It’s not easy to spend time in the woods searching for insects when those things scare you. It’s not easy to set your phone down and connect with new people. It’s incredibly challenging to walk up to a group of strangers on the first day of camp, or go caving when you are scared of the dark, or give someone feedback that’s both hard to give and hard to receive. Yet, APEX participants do all of these things!
We received a Pay It Forward award, and we are proud to offer our participants opportunities to courageously connect with themselves, their community, and the natural world. Again, we walked away both hopeful and proud of our small contribution to the American spirit, as an example of democracy at the community level.
Reflection is powerful and a key component of the experiential education process. One way to reflect is to think back and give gratitude. For example, at the end of each day at Wild Camp, we sit in a circle with participants ages 4-8, going around and sharing a moment of gratitude from the day. We are so grateful to have been honored by The Courage Project and for the opportunity to attend such powerful events. Thank you to APEX Instructor Laura Johnston for her excitement about this award and for her awareness of the significance of the events, which let us know we should buy some nicer clothes! Laura also showed up for both events and proudly showed us around her hometown of D.C. Thank you to Emily Renard for sending her amazing, courageous daughter to camp for the past 5 years and for encouraging us to apply for the award. Thank you to all of our instructors and board members who have worked with us over the years, making APEX what it is. Thank you to the APEX community for signing yourselves and your kids up for APEX programs and for courageously showing up! Thank you to the plants, animals, rocks, mushrooms, insects, trees, stars, and all the rest of it! We are grateful. We are courageous!
