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Outdoor Education Receives a Boost from Supplemental Levy
During the 2015 strategic planning process, parents, staff, and community members identified outdoor education as a priority. When voters approved the 2018 Supplemental Levy, the Board of Trustees approved a budget that included $100 for each student who participates in outdoor education in grades 6-8 in all schools in Blaine County. Schools have identified the following students and programs for this funding:
- Wood River Middle School Residential Outdoor Environmental School (ROES) for Grade 6
- Wood River Middle School Outdoor Education for Grades 7 and 8 (Expanding into 7th this year)
- Carey School Yellowstone Field Trip for Grade 6
- Hemingway STEAM School McCall Outdoor Science School for Grades 6 and 7
This funding serves as a base amount that many schools use to build upon as they pursue additional donations and funding depending on the goals and scope of their outdoor education programs. For some this means climbing, rafting and backpacking trips, for others it means a visit to an outdoor science school in McCall or a field trip to Yellowstone.
Last week 6-grade students attending Wood River Middle School participated in the ROES Camp. For over 40 years ROES has been an important part of the WRHS curriculum. Principal Fritz Peters wrote, “It lays a foundation for a lifelong interest in science and serves as a unique bonding experience for both the teachers and students who come from different elementary schools.” During ROES, students test water quality in the Big Wood River, dissect owl pellets, learn orienteering, identify plants and learn how they can be environmental stewards and conserve resources.
ROES Camp Directors Tod Gunter and Dan Gralenski developed partnerships with the WOW! Generosity Project, Environmental Resource Center, Trout Unlimited and Wood River Land Trust who have fundraised and instructed various parts of the curriculum and outdoor experiences during the camp.