HAPPY SPRING!!!!
 
Program:  Outdoor Lab: 61 years!
Paige Brophy
 
The Outdoor Lab is a 5-day, 4 night program embedded in the 6th grade curriculum for all Jefferson County 6th graders.  It provides the opportunity for all 6th graders to attend a week long integrated learning experience focused on our natural environment.
 
Why Outdoor Lab?  It gets kids outside.  It helps them learn about nature, science, and about themselves and how to work with others.  What is the impact?  Kids get more confidence.  They learn leadership skills.  They learn about the world being bigger than just their lives.  The program now serves 6800 students a year.  High school students and interns participate.  Interns teach High Schoolers how to teach the students.  All JeffCo students attend regardless of ability to pay or disabilities.  There are nurses on site to support students with disabilities.  There are 775 acres at the two sites:  Windy Point and Mt. Evans. 

The latest development is a green house at both sites where students will grow the food to eat while at Outdoor Lab.  The Mt. Evans green house just opened and the Windy Peak green house will open in May.  Another initiative is the Outdoor Lab Youth Advisory Board;  they will work with the high schoolers before, during and after their experience. 
 
Improvements for both sites are underway and include a new dining hall at the Mt Evans location because a large boulder adjacent to the building is compromising the structure.  In addition, there are plans for ADA accessible bathrooms in all the bunkhouses.
 
To help fund the program, the Outdoor Lab Foundation was formed in 2003.  They partner with many organizations.  King Soopers and Safeway provide funds from the gift cards, called lab cards.  The foundation is soliciting community partners for a $1000 fee and individual donations are welcome.  An upcoming vote for a JeffCo bond will provide needed funding for Outdoor Lab facilities.  The cost/student is $500, but families pay no more than $350.  The facilities are rented to other camp groups during the summer as well as hosting wedding and other private events.
 
“Our students may walk the same trails but they each leave a different footprint”
 
 
Announcements/Business:
 
  • Thanks to all who helped with the St. Patty’s party!  The financials will be presented by Suzanne.  A special thanks to our beer sponsors and to Taste of Denmark for dessert!
  • The Board meeting was held last night.  All are welcome to attend; please let Finn know for the food planning.
  • The previous announcement regarding entering Rotary volunteer hours on the District website was incorrect.  Project hours are entered by an authorized Club representative on the Rotary Club Central portion of the RI website.
  • Our April 10 meeting will be a Club Assembly to discuss our objectives for this year and to review our Visioning plan.
  • We still need vendors for the Home and garden show.  Prospective vendors can sign up at homeshowcolorado.com.
  • The District Conference will be held in Denver May 19.
  • May 19 will also be Conifer High School graduation, 9Health Fair and Veterans’ Rendezvous.
  • The Foundation meets today to discuss scholarships.
  • The Conifer High School baseball team is doing a fund-raising by selling Rockies tickets; a portion is returned to the CHS baseball team.  The price/ticket is $17 and available from Marilyn, 303-489-6711.
 
 
Meet Your Rotary Member!
 
Charles Harrison shared a brief bio and what Rotary means to him:  Charles grew up in the Bay area, educated in the Jesuit tradition in California.  He is an Eagle Scout and he attended college in California.  He came to Colorado and staged a play in Durango and met his wife, whose father was the president of the Rotary Club.  They moved to Seattle for ten years, then they returned to the Front Range and he looked for a Rotary Club and joined our club.  He sees Rotary as a way to give back to the larger community.