Mountain School

Mountain School

Our award-winning environmental education program for students

Mountain School is a nationally recognized environmental education program offered by North Cascades Institute in cooperation with North Cascades National Park. Mountain School students come to the North Cascades with their school class, teacher and chaperones to learn about the ecosystems, geology and natural and cultural history of the mountains. Mountain School gives young people an experience they will remember forever – a chance to increase their knowledge of the world with their bodies, minds and spirits.

WHERE IS MOUNTAIN SCHOOL?

Mountain School is surrounded by 7,000,000 acres of protected public lands in Washington and British Columbia. In the middle lies 684,000-acre North Cascades National Park – our neighborhood. With 93 percent of its area designated as Wilderness, the Park is known for its steep mountains, ever-flowing streams and tremendous biological diversity. With more than 300 glaciers and countless snowfields, the Park is one of the most rugged and heavily glaciated areas in the United States outside of Alaska. The North Cascades are a national treasure and living laboratory awaiting discovery.

Our Learning Center is located in North Cascades National Park in the heart of the North Cascades mountain range. The 16 building facility includes classrooms, labs, library, dining hall and lodges. It is located on the shores of Diablo Lake with numerous trails and three trail side learning shelters. Our foodshed program focuses on offering appealing and wholesome food choices that are local, organic and sustainably produced. Mountain School participants stay in three dormitory-style lodges, which sleep a total of 69 participants. Each room sleeps two to three participants with two shared bathrooms in each lodge. Weather at this site varies greatly depending on the season, so we ask participants to be prepared for all conditions. Travel time to the Learning Center from Burlington is approximately one hour and thirty minutes and three hours from Seattle.

INSTRUCTION

With one to two classes per session, students break up into small hiking and learning groups with approximately a one to five adult/student ratio. Teachers and chaperones are an integral part of Mountain School, participating fully in all activities. North Cascades Institute education staff design lessons, provide leadership and train instructors at Mountain School. Mountain School instructors include North Cascades Institute staff members, graduate students enrolled in the Masters in Environmental Education program through Western Washington University and Institute and National Park rangers and interpreters. All instructors have CPR and first aid certification. In addition, many instructors have Wilderness First Responder (WFR) training, an advanced 80-hour first aid certification.

CURRICULUM

While at Mountain School, students spend the majority of their time outside, hiking on trails and exploring mountain ecosystems first-hand through interdisciplinary activities. Experiential, hands-on activities in science, math, art, social studies and conservation fill days to the brim. Program activities extend through the evening. Mountain School curriculum is aligned with the Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements, Grade Level Expectations and the Measurements of Student Progress and High School Proficiency Exams.

There are two Learning Center programs available as either a three, four or five day option:

	4th to 6th Grade: "Ecosystem Explorations"
	7th to 12th Grade: "Field Science & Leadership"

A three day experience is our standard program. Four and five day programs can be developed based on your school’s interests and needs. Longer programs can add additional time for exploration and study as well as fit in new elements that your school would like as part of the experience. Longer programs allow time for your students to bond more as a group, dig deeper into explorations and studies, take longer hikes and do more team building and reflective activities. Canoeing on Diablo Lake (weather permitting) is also an option for schools. A five day program can include both the Carnivore and Water Quality curricula.

Coming Fall 2012: Climate Change Curriculum for Middle and High School Students!

	When I went to Mt. School something inside me changed. All that time I was there, I felt much better and more healthier inside. That feels great! 5th GRADER, CARL COZIER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, BELLINGHAM

STAYING CONNECTED:

Pre and Post Trips:
An important piece of the Mountain School experience is the connections that students make between their lessons learned in the North Cascades and their everyday lives back home.  These connections are fostered through pre- and post- trip classroom visits from Mountain School instructors.  Some students and schools may be able to participate in our post-trip Mountain School Stewards program where the class will join in conservation projects near their schools. Projects include eradicating invasive species, planting native plants, trail restoration and other activities to help conserve and restore neighborhood natural areas.