The great outdoors may be the grandest classroom of all, and the new Outer Range campus, nestled among elm trees along the banks of the Uncompahgre River, provides a dynamic outdoor learning space where students use nature to spark creativity.

Spreading across approximately nine acres of land in the heart of Montrose, Outer Range is Montrose County School District’s newest and most unique learning space. Its mission of “joyful, shared experiences created to awaken and inspire” holds weight. The first phase of the outdoor campus was completed last December, and the positive impact is already apparent. Completion of phase 1 includes two yurts, three tipis, a fire pit and pathways that house programs for students of all ages, from kindergarten through high school. Everything is ADA accessible.

“There’s this element of freedom here that allows the students to feel like themselves,” says program manager Keely Vaughan. “They are taking in the environment around them. They have rich conversations and are inspired by what’s around them. It’s been really fun to see.”

In and around Outer Range, there’s no shortage of nature. Hoofprints of deer can be found embedded in the mud. One could look for signs of raccoons near a weathered tree that kids can’t resist climbing on. Three access points connect campus to the Uncompahgre River and Riverbottom Park, all separated by the lush wetlands that are habitat to birds and aquatic insects.

The idea for an outdoor learning space came after the first year of the Covid epidemic. After soliciting feedback from the community on the best use of the district-owned land, which lies adjacent to the district’s administrative offices, the overwhelming sentiment was students need an outdoor space to learn.

“At that time, we knew there was going to be a need in the community to support our kids for what they needed and what they were experiencing with Covid,” Vaughan says. “That was when we decided this could be an outdoor learning center to support the emotional needs of the kids and reengage the community connection we lost during the pandemic.”

Since its ribbon cutting in December, Outer Range has facilitated expedition-style programs for students and provided an interactive home where environmental and nature-focused projects blossom. Students from Columbine Middle School participated in a living sciences exploration while students from Pomona Elementary worked on social and emotional learning by moving their bodies in open space. Olathe High School students used the space to hone their grant writing skills. Montrose High School and Peak Virtual Academy students are immersed in a project to turn recycled plastic into fishing nets. They regularly meet at the campus to design a fishing net business model that could someday fund more education. Over the winter, an adventurous program allowed students to strap into snowshoes, many for the first time. For some, the snowshoeing piqued an interest into ice climbing.

“There is a big scope to what we are trying to do here,” adds program coordinator Kiersten Brown. “We want this to provide access to adventure and education to a lot of people. This is a public school that is here for our entire community. It’s a really big project.”

Both Vaughan and Brown emphasize that Outer Range is for students of all ages within the school district and works to partner with teachers, home-school students and other community organizations including Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) of the 7th Judicial District, Partners and Families Plus to ensure it is an outdoor learning hub for everyone.

“There’s the school access component and the community access component,” Brown says. “We want to remove the barriers that families may have and try to find ways to engage an entire family.”

Looking forward, phase 2 of campus development will be the creation of the Alpine Start Forest Preschool (pre-K) and Yurtergarten (K) programs, both of which will be nature-based learning programs. Additional restroom facilities and a boardwalk are also being planned. For now, both Vaughan and Brown are consistently digesting community feedback that will help shape the future of Outer Range to ensure the needs of the community are satisfied. At the same time, they are enjoying its early success.

“What sticks out to me so far is this reawakening of joy and finding a spark that a lot of our kids have lost,” Vaughan shares. “Our goal is to not be something that already exists. For us, the most dangerous words are, ‘We’ve always done it this way.’ Outer Range is specific to our community and the people in it.”

For more information on Outer Range programs or enrollment, visit mcsd.org/OutdoorEducation_OuterRange.aspx.

Originally published in the Summer 2022 issue of Spoke+Blossom.

Outer Range Connects Students with Great Outdoors