This fall, nonprofit Rocky Mountain Youth Corps celebrated the successful expansion of its popular Yampa Valley Science School program into Moffat County, providing four days of experiential environmental education for Craig Middle School seventh-graders.
While RMYC’s Yampa Valley Science School serves up to 300 Routt County sixth-grade students each September at Strawberry Park’s historic Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts Camp, this fall marked the first time the program has expanded into Moffat County, giving Craig Middle School students the same opportunity.
To date, RMYC has funneled more than 5,000 students through its Yampa Valley Science School program.
“It’s been great to expand our operations there,” said RMYC YVSS Director Kim Tholis of the residential science camp. “This year we ran it for two additional weeks to include Moffat County sixth-graders, which is the first time we’ve done this.”
Operated in cooperation with local schools since 2000, the program incorporates interactive lessons and activities in a four-day, one-night science curriculum integrated with Colorado sixth-grade academic standards.
This year’s inclusion of 158 Moffat County seventh-graders came about with funding from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Equity Grant Program. The students conducted water quality testing at Perry-Mansfield and Chuck Lewis State Wildlife Area, learned aspects of Yampa Valley watershed information at Fish Creek Falls, and conducted experiential education activities to learn ecology.
“The curriculum matches our seventh-grade science standards really well,” said Heather Fross, a seventh-grade science teacher at Craig Middle School. “I moved our lesson plan, so we had two weeks of ecology before the YVSS program and several weeks after, which worked out really well. Students knew some terms and concepts going in and applied what they learned when they returned.”
She added that the curriculum also melds well with what the students are already learning. “It gives our seventh-graders a chance to take what they learn in the classroom and see it come to life outdoors,” she said. “The hands-on activities connect directly to what we teach in science, such as ecosystems, weather, geology, and teamwork in problem-solving. Students get to explore and ask questions in a real-world setting, which makes the lessons more meaningful and memorable.”
From RMYC’s perspective, it was also a win-win. “The partnership was extremely smooth,” added RMYC’s Tholis. “The teachers constantly told us how grateful they were for their students to experience this and how beautiful the campus is.”
Further extending its reach and mission into Moffat County, this year RMYC also expanded its Service Learning Crew into Craig, with daily transportation pickups so Moffat County youth could participate in service projects across the Yampa Valley, including Craig’s Senior Social Center, where they landscaped and provided other support for local seniors.
For more information, visit RockyMountainYouthCorps.org.