BAILEY — Three-and-a-half years ago, it appeared that Jefferson County Schools’ Outdoor Lab program had no future as .
But things have changed in a big way after community outcry and support saved Outdoor Lab, and now the future could be brighter than ever.
Jeffco Schools and the Outdoor Lab Foundation are working on a master plan for the Mount Evans and Windy Peak sites to address needs that both locations have developed over the years.
“I think it absolutely shows we’re committed to making sure this program endures during hard times,” Jeffco Schools Superintendent Dan McMinimee said.
The master plan to be released in May will look at all aspects of improving both sites, which host all district sixth-grade students for five days and four nights throughout the school year, as well as student leaders, interns and staff.
Outdoor Lab gives Jeffco students an opportunity for hands-on learning experiences in outdoor settings. Students spend their days outdoors on educational hikes and learning skills such as archery.
Kids work with leaders who come up from different high schools from Jeffco for the week. The site also has interns — typically recent high school graduates — who can be at Outdoor Lab for an entire school year. Some teachers from the visiting schools can come, as well, and there is regular staff at each location.
The sites alternate weeks, with half of the district students attending Windy Peak and the other half Mount Evans each year.
No other district in the state has a weeklong program to send students away and learn on property that the district owns, according to director Shannon Hancock. The foundation is a nonprofit geared toward raising money and supporting Outdoor Lab. During this fiscal year, the foundation has raised $1 million.
On April 16, student leaders at Windy Peak reflected on their experiences at Outdoor Lab when they were sixth-graders. Several students from Standley Lake High School volunteered to come up to help lead, and a few other interns were up for the entire school year.
They all shared positive experiences from their earlier visits and gratitude that the program is still around.
“It’s life-changing to see the impact you can make on a kid’s life,” said intern Palmer Peterson, a 2014 graduate of Dakota Ridge High School. “I’ve had some kids definitely change my life.”
Jeffco Schools has allocated $86,000 toward the master plan, $43,000 for each site, going to the architecture firm Bennett, Wagner and Grody Architects.
Hancock said she would love to see large-scale projects such as a new dining hall at Mount Evans, but thinks a more likely route is to improve existing facilities to reduce damage and save money over time.
Wastewater improvements are needed, and some of the buildings are not energy-efficient.
The district makes money by renting the sites out for summer camps, but it’s the community, the foundation and the district working together that keep the program afloat. Almost four years ago, the community outcry in support of the program, along with the efforts of the foundation, helped save the program from budget cuts.
While some of the key players have changed since 2011, the program is stronger than ever.
“What I think is cool is that partnership is to the point where players come and go, but partnerships stay there,” Hancock said. “It’s solid enough that programs are going to continue to thrive.”
Joe Vaccarelli: 303-954-2396, jvaccarelli@denverpost.com or twitter.com/joe_vacc
