A program of Winter Wildlands Alliance, SnowSchool is an unforgettable winter adventure that combines hands-on science education with outdoor snowshoe exploration for 28,000 K-12 students each winter. Our network of 45 independent sites has recently expanded to include three additional SnowSchool sites: Discover Your Forest in Bend OR, Mt Baker Ski Area in Washington state, and Justin Trails in Sparta WI: Below is a quick look at what these sites are planning for the upcoming year. Find all of our SnowSchool sites at www.snowschool.org.
Mt Baker Ski Area joined the SnowSchool program this fall with the aspiration of providing hands-on snow science education programs for middle and high school students living in the greater Bellingham area and surrounding regions. Working in partnership with WWA, Mt Baker Education Coordinator Kerry Hermann (kerry@mtbaker.us) has developed a plan to pilot these programs for the very first time during the winter of 2014. Working to develop this program from the ground up, Mt Baker is utilizing curriculum developed by WWA SnowSchool to plan these outings in coordination with local school district teachers. More information to come as the program is launched this winter!
Discover Your Forest has joined the SnowSchool program with the aspirations of improving and expanding their existing winter education programs. DYF’s Project Snow program annually engages thousands of local elementary students in on-snow education programs near Mt Bachelor ski area in the Deschutes National Forest. Conservation Educator Karen Gentry (kwgentry@fs.fed.us) from Discover Your Forest approached WWA seeking collaborative assistance with curriculum development and new ideas of providing students with engaging on-snow activities. More information to come as the collaboration continues this winter!
Justin Trails in Sparta Wisconsin joined the SnowSchool network this fall with the goal of launching a new winter outdoor education program for local elementary students. With an abundance of snow and forested snowshoe trails, Justin Trails is ideally situated to provide this experience for local students. Justin Trails approached WWA looking for curriculum ideas and logistical support as they work to develop this program from the ground up. More information to come as the new program is implemented this winter!
Find information about all of the sites in our SnowSchool network here!