McPhee: The joy of outdoor education

This is to thank the visionaries, past and present, who started and for almost 60 years have kept the eighth grade outdoor-ed program for the Aspen School District going. To be at the Marble Base Camp when all the groups of kids convened after four days of hiking on half-a-dozen various routes is remarkable. To see the joy on their faces as they greet friends and laugh and joke about their experiences and travails on their journeys seems transformational. Some parents who may be new to the Aspen School District and have younger children may wonder if this program will be right for their kids. It is. Indeed, former students who have done the program, some more than 30 years ago, return every year to volunteer and help out to make sure it continues. This program is one of the intangible things that truly makes Aspen Aspen.

Jim McPhee

Aspen