Session 7, Week 2
There is a moment in every great story when the hero pauses and looks back—not because they are lost, but because they need to see how far they have come. As our year draws toward its close, that moment has arrived for our heroes. The setting around them looks much like it did in August: the same studios, the same friends, the same familiar walls. But the heroes themselves are not the same. This week’s driving idea is one of the most beautiful in the whole Hero’s Journey: returning home having changed. Here is how that change showed up in each studio this week:
✨ In the Spark Studio
The Spark heroes did something simple and powerful this week: they looked back at pictures from the first few weeks of the school year.
As heroes reflected on their journey, they remembered where they started and saw how far they have come. Some noticed they looked older, had a different haircut now, or had already outgrown that pair of shoes. Others noted they have made so many friends since then. Then they looked deeper, at the projects they were working on in those photos, and several heroes exclaimed that they can read really well now. Sometimes, when we are in the middle of a journey, it’s hard to see progress. All you see are the tiny little steps—the tasks—you take each day. But then you look back and realize that all those little steps added up, and you actually walked miles and miles.
This week was a full one! Monday brought the annual field trip to Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum, where heroes spread out and followed their curiosity. Some planted themselves at the water station, while others rotated through the grocery store, bakery, construction site, and farm. Upstairs, the life flight helicopter was a major draw—several heroes spent nearly an hour exploring it—and a new train exhibition captured plenty of attention as well.
Back in the studio, a hero showed real flexibility on Tuesday by moving her launch up a day. She read a story that had everyone laughing from start to finish, then led the group through a discussion of vocabulary words from the book. Wednesday brought another story, and the week wrapped up with a hero sharing a Bluey episode about persisting through failure. He then opened up a discussion about what to do when something feels hard. Heroes were eager to share what they have learned this year. Some said to keep trying. Others recommended stepping away and coming back fresh the next day. And several credited having someone as a helper or ally as what made the difference. Watching the friendships that have grown this year has been one of the best parts of the journey.
🔥 In the Fire Studio
In core skills this week, heroes were focused on finishing their yearly goals. As they finished and submitted for badges, there was a palpable feeling of relief throughout the studio. That relief gave heroes the space to spend time with their friends, read that one book they didn’t get to finish, and explore the different things out on the explore tables.
During one launch this week, the heroes discussed the three words they would want said about them. Some said: kind, truthful, loyal, loving, and joyful. Then came the real challenge—choose one of those words and work on developing that attribute in your character that day. What followed was beautiful. Heroes helped each other, held one another accountable, and listened when feelings were shared. They participated in several star appeal meetings and a few resolution rooms. Look at that growth! This year, the heroes have accepted the call, trusted their allies and mentors, traveled a road of trials, fought dragons, and learned how to show up for each other.
In Week 2 of our Hero’s Journey Quest, the heroes continued working on their presentation boards, taking each stage of the Hero’s Journey one piece at a time. By slowing down and creating each section individually, they had the opportunity to really think about what each stage meant in their own lives. One discussion this week stood out. Many heroes were struggling to see the difference between the Road of Trials and the Dragon. At first, they thought the Dragon was simply one of the trials. But through discussion, heroes in both studios began connecting the dots. One hero explained that the Road of Trials is often made up of the external challenges we face, while the Dragon is something internal—a fear, belief, mindset, or struggle within ourselves. As often happens in discussions, the heroes came up with insights that left guides trying to hide big smiles and raised eyebrows of surprise. 🤗 When you see their completed boards, we hope you’ll notice the connections they made between these different layers of their journeys—reflections on challenge, growth, and change that many people, children and adults alike, rarely take the time to consider.
We are also nearing the completion of the Day Quests led by Fire Studio heroes pitching for Delta Studio. Each Day Quest had a different “flavor.” One hero led a crocheting Day Quest, with several projects available for each level of experience. The energy was peaceful as the heroes sat with friends, talking as they added each stitch. Another hero taught about fossils and the curiosity was high—the discussions extended longer than normal without the energy dying down. There were several stations (using games to learn about fossils, observing them, and creating a shark tooth necklace), and heroes were motivated to complete all of his challenges. Another hero was playful with her delivery of the history of henna, with a few stations that included reading about the history, coloring pages, and henna with the option of using stencils. There was joy as all the heroes engaged in the different options. A final hero assigned small variations to a chocolate chip cookie recipe for each group to try. During the prep time the energy was high and appeared to be chaotic. At one point the hero was anxious about how it was going and said, “This is anarchy.” But moments later he said, “Nevermind it’s not anarchy. Two groups are already finished.”
As the FS heroes gave their DS pitches this week, the growth from the beginning of the year, and even from last year, is remarkable. The theme of returning home having changed feels especially fitting for these pitching heroes. Throughout the year they have accepted challenges, relied on mentors and allies, faced difficult roads, wrestled with inner dragons, discovered treasures along the way, and now many are emerging stronger, more capable, and more confident than when they began. As they prepare for their next adventures, it is clear they are not returning as the same heroes who started the journey. They are returning home having changed.
🔺 In the DELTA Studio
Monday brought a real-world adventure: Navigating Public Transportation. The DELTA heroes were given an itinerary to follow to get from their drop-off point at North Temple Station to Sugarhouse Park—six different routes in all. Before leaving the school, the groups researched the times and locations of each leg of their journeys. Then we dropped them off. They had to buy their tickets at a kiosk, board the right train or bus, transfer to other trains or buses, and then find us at Sugarhouse Park. Every group made it without any major difficulties, with plenty of time to eat lunch and play at the park before returning to school.
Tuesday and Wednesday were great days to put noses to grindstones and work on finishing goals. It is amazing to see the level of motivation that can occur at this time of year. The heroes worked hard on their individual work and made time for just enough play to reset their focus, while heroes who were mostly finished with their goals simply enjoyed play time!
Thursday was largely another work day, but everything had to be done by 1:00, because at that time the studio got to make its last visit to SLC Padel. Many heroes have really gotten pretty good at it over the course of our visits, and all of them enjoyed participating as a departure from the normal routine.
Individual exit interviews are a great time to discuss what went well this year and what heroes want to do differently next year. It was beautiful to hear their level of self-reflection. Some of the things heroes said they have learned this year: “My confidence has grown,” “Talk to adults better,” “Better at leading things,” “Executive functioning has grown a lot,” “kindness,” “reading the room and knowing how to lead it,” “managing my education,” “not waiting until the end,” and “learned boundaries for teasing better.” These are not small things. These are the things that change a life.
Having Changed.
Last week a guide shared with one studio that one of her favorite hero’s Journey stories is Finding Nemo because: one of the first scenes is Marlin taking Nemo to school and one of the last scenes is Marlon taking Nemo to school. Because the scenes are so similar, it is so apparent that what changed was growth within them. Like Nemo returning to a school that looks exactly as it did before, our heroes are arriving back where they began—to the same studios, the same friends, the same familiar walls. But they are not the same. They are braver, more capable, more connected, and more themselves than when they set out. That is the whole point of the journey. They are returning home having changed.