Keystone Science School Outdoor Education Hosts Student-Led Gear Drive

Keystone Science School has partnered with Park County School District to provide each 3rd-8th grade student with a unique outdoor education program embedded within the traditional school day. The program is kicked off with a student-led gear drive so that each child can be prepared to explore and learn about their local environment. Community members can donate their unneeded winter gear to the program by dropping it off at the entryway of Edith Teter Elementary School between November 2nd to 23rd. The specific winter gear requested are snow pants, boots, gloves, hats, scarves, and jackets.

Keystone Science School has partnered with Park County School District to embed an outdoor education program within the traditional school day for each student in grade 3rd-8th grade. To learn more about the program and the inception of the idea, check out the KSS blog post, “Keystone Science School Partners with Park County School District.” The program is now asking the community to donate winter clothes to the program.

The Keystone Science School Outdoor Education program is in its first year but has already grown thanks to the efforts of Keystone Science School Instructor, Kendra Fuller, and the Park County School Administration including Edith Teter Elementary Principal, Laurel Dumas, and South Park Middle and High School Principal, Gretchen Panicucci. Together they have worked to provide transportation so that a rotating class of students will get a full day outdoor education program each Thursday.

According to Kendra, “We are ecstatic to announce Thursday field days for 3rd-8th grade students. While on trail, elementary students will learn to snowshoe, track animals, and observe adaptations of flora and fauna. Middle School students will learn to cross country ski on trail and study the health of the forest through student-led research.”

In an effort to make sure that the program is accessible to every student, Kendra identified that the appropriate gear and attire is a big need for each student. Kendra states that “Outdoor education asks students to engage in exploration and learn outdoors in all kinds of weather and Fairplay can really challenge us with true mountain wind and weather. To do this, students must be prepared with snow gear but not all families have the resources to provide snow pants, jackets, and boots for their growing kids.”

In this effort, Kendra has worked with the students to ask the community to support their program by donating winter clothes and outdoor gear to the program. Community members can donate their unneeded winter gear to the program by dropping it off at the entryway of Edith Teter Elementary School between November 2nd to 23rd. The specific winter gear requested are snow pants, boots, gloves, hats, scarves, and jackets.