Outdoor Education

Get ready for a great 3 days! At Outdoor Education you will be packing activities into your days and evenings. You'll need to take care of yourself, each other and our environment while having fun & learning in the outdoors.

Students will learn skills and be given opportunities to actively experience teamwork and individual challenges that can be applied to future endeavors.

Three unique "Expeditions" are available to each middle school core group. Some courses are modified for weather-related conditions. Below you will find a brief description of each course:

Triangulation & Map Reading -Time is spent at school learning about map & compass basics, these basics are then reviewed before going out on the course during outdoor ed. Students will participate in one or both of the courses that we have.

Map & Compass Skills - Students will orient a map to north, take compass bearings on landmarks, triangulate location, estimate distance traveled and read USGS topographic maps.  Students will test their skills and accuracy by using the compass while on a hike.

Treasure Trail - This course emphasizes reading a map. In small groups, students are given a map of the area. Letters are assigned to the trees and are labeled on the map and on the trees. Groups follow a pre determined course to collect checkpoint letters. When all groups have successfully completed the course, and put all their letters together, it will reveal a sentence, perhaps leading them to a treasure.

OUTDOOR SKILLS

Hikes

Every group will go on a hike (1.5 to 3.5 miles), giving them the opportunity to explore their natural surroundings. Hikes follow trails in the camp and into Rocky Mountain National Park. The hike will encourage students to: learn facts about the environment, become more observant, recognize natural and human influence on the mountains, form a new appreciation for the Colorado Rockies.

Survival

The survival class consists of two parts. The first is preparing to be out in the wilderness; listing items that would be important to bring and reviewing safety measures. Later in the class the students are given a scenario from which they must make a shelter to survive an overnight emergency. Once all the groups have finished their shelter, the whole class will go from shelter to shelter to compare and contrast the shelter's strengths and weaknesses before returning to camp.

CHALLENGE COURSE

Low Ropes
The low ropes course is, as its name suggests, low to the ground. One student is on an element at a time, while the others are spotting. The course is personally challenging and requires the trust of the group members to be ready to "catch" you when you lose your footing.

Group Initiatives
Groups are presented with a challenge, such as the "Spider's Web", "Toxic Waste", or "All Aboard", and must attempt to be successful in the challenge. The only way to achieve success is if the whole group works together; one or two individuals cannot complete the challenges alone. Personal qualities we hope to develop include: Communication, Cooperation, Commitment and Trust.

High Ropes
The high ropes experience is often one of the most exciting times for the students. They are fitted with harnesses and helmets before doing the course. The high ropes are very safe, as they are clipped onto a rope and belayed from the ground. Our program supports the idea of "Challenge by Choice", meaning that students may go as far on the course as they want, and at any time may choose to stop and descend. Students who are watching are responsible for cheering on and encouraging their fellow classmates.

ALPINE EXPEDITION

Many middle school cores offer their students the added challenge of the physically demanding Alpine Expedition. The "expedition" involves a full day hike on day 2 where the students learn along the trail. Only 20 students can participate in this adventure. All the students on the hike must be committed to the completion of the rigorous hike and participation in the trailside activities