Johanna Ernst Will Be Ogichi's Next Director
By Hugh Haller
The search for Ogichi’s next director was a thorough and deliberative process that involved many individuals who have been in invested in Ogichi’s success since the beginning. The process was also a long one—we received more than 60 applications in total—but the end result was more than worth the time and effort.
I am thrilled to announce that Johanna Ernst will succeed Kathy Dix as the director of Ogichi Daa Kwe starting in January 2021.
Kathy will continue as director this summer, while Johanna will assist her in the role of associate director. In the fall, Johanna will continue to work under Kathy’s leadership, learning the many nuances of the off-season role, from recruiting campers and hiring staff to the logistics of moving a small city to the Northwoods each summer.
Early Riser
Johanna teaches a paddleboarding class at Ogichi in 2017. (Liz Hattemer)
“While most of us would never think to travel back and forth between Kooch-i-ching and Ogichi in a canoe or kayak—we’re in too much of a hurry most days—Johanna had made a habit of it.”
One day two summers ago, I woke early to run an errand across the lake. It was a classic morning on Rainy. The sun was just beginning to rise above the horizon, peaking through the fog. The lake was still, not a ripple to be seen nor another boat to be heard.
I killed my motor to take in the peacefulness of the moment. I thought I was alone, but as I gazed eastward, I noticed a flicker of movement in the distance. Then I heard a sound: the rhythm of a paddle entering and exiting the water, a craft cutting through the water faster than a canoe. I recognized the kayak first and then the pilot. I could tell by the strength and grace of the strokes that it was Johanna.
It was 5:30 in the morning and not a soul was stirring on the island, yet Johanna was commuting to Ogichi to prepare for a day of teaching. While most of us would never think to travel back and forth between Kooch-i-ching and Ogichi in a canoe or kayak—we’re in too much of a hurry most days—Johanna had made a habit of it. It was her daily routine, I learned later.
It would be untrue to say that this was the moment I realized that Johanna would be the perfect choice for Ogichi’s next director. But the image has stayed with me ever since, reassuring me that we are heading in the right direction.
I recently asked Johanna to share her story—her love for nature, the impact of Ogichi on her three daughters, and her desire to lead Ogichi into the future.
Q&A
Johanna with her husband Alex and daughters Delia, Addie and Clara. (Jennifer Rodriguez)
“In one camp session, I saw girls go through a whole cycle of growth that would normally take an entire school year. ”
HH: For those who don’t know you well, can you please share a little about yourself?
JE: I grew up in southern Maine, outside of Portland, and spent my summers paddling and winters skiing and snowshoeing. I took my first three-day canoe trip, on the Moose River, when I was 4.
I attended St. Lawrence University in upstate New York, majoring in cultural anthropology, working as the course director for the outdoor program and teaching whitewater kayaking in the Adirondacks. After college, I earned a master’s degree in Teaching and Learning from the University of Southern Maine.
For the last 19 years, I have been immersed in the field of education and I am currently teaching at the Cascade Brook School in Farmington, Maine.
HH: During the interview process, you said that as much as you love teaching, you have had a much greater—and more immediate—effect on young women at Ogichi. Can you expand on this?
JE: When I entered the field of education, it was because I wanted to have a real impact on children’s lives. Before my time at Ogichi, I felt I was doing a fairly good job of upholding my personal mission. After my first summer at Ogichi in 2014, though, I knew I had discovered something that would take this mission to a whole new level.
At camp, in a setting away from home and school that allows for supportive relationships, safe risk-taking and tremendous growth, I was uniquely positioned to make a difference. In one camp session, I saw girls go through a whole cycle of growth that would normally take an entire school year.
Johanna helps a camper carry a Duluth Pack. (Liz Hattemer)
“Taking risks, failing and trying again (and again) is what builds resiliency and character. Nature is the ideal learning lab, and it’s impossible to replicate.”
HH: You have spent much of your life outdoors. You are married to the ultimate woodsman in Alex [Kooch-i-ching’s trips coordinator] and you are raising your girls to value nature. Why is nature so important for kids?
JE: Nature is one of the only places where kids can be present and experience their surroundings through all five senses. In the wilderness, children learn through experimenting. They are forced to think, question, and form a hypothesis: figuring out how much firewood to collect, how to pace a portage, how to ration food so it lasts the length of a trip.
Nature is constantly asking children to think and problem-solve. It’s this thinking and problem-solving that allows for authentic learning. Taking risks, failing and trying again (and again) is what builds resiliency and character. Nature is the ideal learning lab, and it’s impossible to replicate.
HH: I suspect that discussions about camp dominate your dinner table. How do you see Ogichi through the lens of a wife and mother?
JE: Being married to a man who has been at camp every summer since he was 12 is to understand true dedication. As I transition into the role of director, it is comforting to know that I’m doing it with a partner who understands the intricacies of camp life, along with the logistics and planning that go into the program.
As Kooch’s trips director, Alex respects that at Ogichi we do things our own way. I know that as I move forward, Alex will freely share his knowledge and support without expecting our trips to mirror Kooch’s.
Kathy and Johanna share a laugh in the dining hall. (Liz Hattemer)
“As a mom, I can see that the Ogichi experience allows my daughters to tap into the strongest and most confident pieces of themselves.”
Two of our daughters have attended Ogichi for the past few years and our third will start this summer. My daughters describe Ogichi as their home base, their happy place. It’s where they return year after year to be restored and find solid ground after a sometimes-tumultuous school year.
My oldest daughter, Delia, once told me that whenever she has to do something that scares her or makes her nervous, she puts on a piece of clothing from Ogichi. Just wearing something from camp makes her feel stronger and more confident. As a mom, I can see that the Ogichi experience allows my daughters to tap into the strongest and most confident pieces of themselves—pieces that grow each year that they come to camp.
HH: Kathy is the founding director of Ogichi, and she has been the camp’s driving force from the outset. What do you admire most about Kathy’s leadership style?
JE: I admire the way Kathy maintains her poise and calm even in the toughest of situations. I have never seen her panic or “lose it.” The campers always feel safe and confident because Kathy has never given them reason to think that things were not exactly as they should be.
Kathy cares deeply about the campers and staff, and this comes through loud and clear in her daily interactions with them. Kathy’s leadership style is based on compassion, not perfection.
HH: What makes Ogichi so special? What would you tell prospective families about the Ogichi community?
JE: I want prospective families to know that being a part of the Ogichi community will make their daughters better people. Our community is based on unconditional acceptance, empathy, hard work and love.
Johanna enjoys a quiet moment at Ogichi. (Liz Hattemer)
“The Ogichi community does not disband on the last day of camp. It thrives year-round, with a unifying quest to seek the joy of being alive. ”
Not only will their daughters live these qualities while at camp, but they will bring them back into their homes and schools, where they will help others to become better people. The Ogichi community does not disband on the last day of camp. It thrives year-round, with a unifying quest to seek the joy of being alive.
HH: As you consider Ogichi’s future, and your own, what goal would you set for yourself?
JE: I’d like to create a “wraparound” Ogichi experience where campers carry that post-trip confidence and joy with them throughout their time away from camp.
If girls can tap into those feelings of empowerment before a math final, championship game or race, or college interview—or when navigating the sometimes-cruel hallways at school—we will have succeeded in providing them with a wraparound Ogichi experience.
I often hear campers say that they are the best version of themselves while at Ogichi, which speaks volumes to the program Kathy has created. Knowing that our campers are their best selves at Ogichi, we can help them to identify and cultivate those pieces during their time away from camp.
HH: Welcome aboard, Johanna! We are very lucky to have you on the team.
This article was originally published in the Spring 2020 issue of Songs of the Paddle.