On Wednesday, Drew's Empowerment Math class completed their third and final portable challenge course of the year led by staff members at Camp Long.  The 6th Grade Empowerment Math class is focused on changing students' mindsets and dispositions towards math, preteaching 6th grade standards, and building broader skills for success in middle school math and beyond.  The challenge courses directly support this work by building communication skills, teamwork, decision making, and self-efficacy.   During the challenge course, students attempted group challenges that forced them to utilize and develop these skills to be successful.  Students then reflected on these skills and how they can transfer them to the math classroom.  Throughout the year, students have become better at communicating and supporting each other when working together, as well as being resilient in the face of failure.  One student said of the day, "Sometimes the challenges are really hard, and you don't always get it the first time, but you just commit to it and you get better."  Another student said, "The challenge course is just like math where you have to have a strategy for hard problems or it won't work."