Increasing accessibility for school field trips to Rocky

Each year, Stellar Elementary partners with Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) for a third-grade snowshoeing field trip. Last year, Stellar staff collaborated with RMNP and the Rocky Mountain Conservancy to ensure every student — including those who use wheelchairs — could take part.

Their teamwork inspired the Conservancy to purchase a wheelchair sledge, the first of its kind to be integrated into RMNP’s program. Thanks to the dedication of Stellar educators Cathy Zensen and Naomi Williams, the park now has the equipment to make snowshoeing accessible to all students.

This partnership was highlighted in the Conservancy's quarterly newsletter (pg. 8), and has been included below:

Rocky’s Environmental Education team has a new winter accessibility tool to enable students who use wheelchairs to enjoy field trips in the park along with their classmates.

Stellar Elementary, located in Thornton, is one of several schools who participate in Conservancy funded snowshoe field trips to Rocky each year. When Cathy Zensen, third grade teacher, and Naomi Williams, special education teacher, began planning for Stellar Elementary’s field trip to Rocky Mountain National Park, they wanted to make sure all their students could attend the trip. Zensen and Williams reached out to Danielle York, Rocky’s education specialist, to inquire about options for one of their students who uses a wheelchair, and an exciting partnership began.

York set to work gathering input from school staff and paraprofessionals to identify what equipment might make a difference. Her research led the education team to order a wheelchair sledge from European manufacturer Lugicap at a cost of about $3,000, and the Conservancy stepped in to pick up the tab.

“We didn’t want any children to miss out on experiencing the beauty and wonder of Rocky in winter,” Baze said. “The sledge helps enable students of all physical abilities to participate in the park’s curriculum based learning programs such as winter wildlife, snow science, and winter safety.”

The sledge is a platform and skis with an adjustable brake to maintain control over varied terrain, and can be pushed and pulled across the snow. It accommodates most manual wheelchairs and enables users to remain in their own mobility devices without the added risk of physical transfers. The sledge is light weight and can be broken down for storage and easy transport. Rocky’s education team trained on and practiced with the sledge at Hidden Valley.

On a sunny day in late March, and with a great deal of excitement for everyone involved, Youla, a third-grade student from Stellar NPS NPS Elementary School in Thornton, joined her classmates on a winter explorers program at Bear Lake. To ensure the field trip was safe and successful, Youla was accompanied by her paraprofessionals and a physical therapist. Education Ranger Kent Mauney served as the lead for Rocky’s team and Youla’s teachers praised Mauney for “how kind and intentional he was interacting with her.”

“The teachers and administration at Stellar Elementary could not have been more supportive in making this special day possible for Youla and her family—and for us,” said Baze. “We learned much from this first experience and look forward to more students like Youla experiencing a winter field trip in the park.”

Special thanks to Stellar Elementary School community for submitting this Five Star Story.