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Nature Is a Teacher at the Community School in Ketchum
community school, education, ketchum, nature, outdoors, seasonal activities, teacher,
At The Community School in Ketchum‚ one of the most popular classrooms isn’t a room at all. It’s the great outdoors.
Students in every grade from kindergarten through 12 enjoy outdoor seasonal activities while learning environmental appreciation.
“It’s part of the curriculum at the school‚” explains Tom Boley‚ who since 1989 has been the outdoor program director for The Community School‚ a private‚ preparatory school. Boley handles middle and senior high‚ while a coordinator runs the elementary activities.
Each school year is launched in the fall with a three-day backpacking trip “where we take the whole middle and upper school and mix them into groups. It’s an orientation program and a way for kids in different grades to get to know each other‚” Boley says.
That’s followed by a separate September trip for each grade‚ when students participate in programs as diverse as studying with native Nez Perce Indians‚ climbing the Sawtooth Mountains or backpacking along the Washington coastline.
In addition to learning outdoor skills and the intricacies of environmental habitats‚ students develop leadership and build confidence.
“The outdoor-education industry basically uses outdoor experiences to build kids’ self-confidence‚” Boley says. “If kids go on a climbing trip‚ they may think‚ ‘Oh‚ I can’t do that.’ Of course‚ they succeed‚ and they learn that they are capable of much more than they thought.”
Story by Sharon H. Fitzgerald
