Outdoor Education Intensive Returns to Ryan Elementary 9/19/2006-9/25/2006

Ryan Elementary students will have another amazing opportunity this year to learn about environmental stewardship while trying a number of outdoor activities designed especially for kids. We are so excited to welcome back the Outdoor Education Intensive to our school.  You may remember from last year that the “Intensive” is an outdoor education, on-campus immersion program that travels to schools bringing four stations that students will rotate through during one full day. Coming to our school will be a portable rock climbing wall, a mountain bike skills course, a paddle tank, and a Leave No Trace outdoor classroom. New this year will be a canoeing element! Additionally, there will be plenty of new curriculum material at each of the stations. All activities will be age appropriate and groups will be created by skill level to accommodate “first-timers” to enthusiasts. For an hour after school on the day that your child participates, parents will be invited to join their kids at the Intensive to see what they learned and to try activities with them.  The Intensive will be at Ryan Elementary from 9/19/2006 through 9/25/2006.

The mission of the program is to introduce students to non-competitive active outdoor lifestyles using experiences that provide personal development (physical, social, and emotional), environmental understanding and stewardship, memorable adventures, and teambuilding. The Intensive will be facilitated by Avid4 Adventure, an organization that exclusively provides kids outdoor education and summer camp programs. The founder of Avid4 is David Secunda, who formally directed the CU Outdoor Education Program and the Outdoor Recreation Coalition of America. David has brought together a group of highly experienced outdoor professionals to deliver the Intensive to Ryan Elementary students.

Detailed information including what day each class will be participating, daily schedules, and logistic information, as well as risk acknowledgement and release forms, will be sent home with students. Watch our upcoming newsletters for more information as well.

Please remember that to participate in the program, signed releases must be back at school no later than Thursday, September 7.  The PTA has agreed to pay half the costs for this wonderful opportunity.  Each child is asked to bring a check for $10.00 made out to Ryan Elementary School.  The PTA will pay the rest of the $20.00 expense.  Families who cannot afford this payment will be scholarship, so that all of the children may participate.

If you have questions, feel free to contact Jim Armitage or the program director, David Secunda, at 720-249-2412 or david@avid4.com.