The Scout Experience is an event held for incoming freshmen to get a feel for the different clubs and extracurricular activities going on at LFHS. Since the event began about eight years ago, it has been a great way for students to see their options as a high school student and dip their toes in the water to explore their interests. 

Originally, the night consisted of curricular meetings with the Instructional Directors of each department so that 8th graders and their parents could prepare for what to expect on an academic level. However, former principal Dr. Holland wanted the event to be a more interactive event on a student-to-student basis to showcase more about the school beyond academics.

For the past few years, the event has been set up in either the field house or competition gym with various clubs and extracurricular activities in attendance, such as the debate team, science olympiad, all foreign language clubs, football, golf, and model united nations, to name a few. In total, 54 clubs and activities as well as 34 sports were represented, and there were about 250 families in attendance this year. While the event can seem overwhelming to a fresh face, incoming freshman Brookly Kuever says that she loved to “see all of the different options of clubs and sports.”

“They had lots of options to see different things, such as the tours and introductions to each club. I thought it was a really good way to see the high school for the first time,” Kuever said. 

There is extensive planning that goes into holding this event on an annual basis. Event organizer and Administrative Assistant Mrs. Walsh starts planning in the fall for the mid-January event. She works under the direction of Associate Principal Dr. Sassen and coordinates with specific departments to ensure that things run smoothly.

“We added student-led tours this year, provided by NHS and Student to Student, which was very well received. There are so many people involved in the success of this interactive evening,” Walsh said. 

While the tours were something new and exciting for students this year, incoming freshman Emma Leech says that the tours felt a bit slow. 

“The only thing I would say is that the tour could have been a little faster to show more rooms and places in the school, especially somewhere like the cafeteria,” Leech said. “Otherwise, I thought it was a really great experience.”

With these students in the thick of their high school preparation, this event highlights the importance of a high school experience that is more than just academics. The Scout Experience not only opens up the school to the next class of students so they can walk around and see the classes, but it welcomes them to a place where they can be their true selves.

“We understand that LFHS students are not one-size-fits-all and offer so many opportunities for young people to discover interests, pursue passions, and make life-long friends,” Walsh said. “We want each student that walks through the doors in August to feel comfortable and hope the Scout Experience gives them a small taste of what their next four years will look like.”