Field studies program in Colorado offers an opportunity for urban students to live rural life: “No better way to bridge that gap”

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    JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colorado (KCNC) — For most high school students, a lesson in rural life from a “Bill Nye the Science Guy” video is where their agriculture lesson will end. In Steve Porentas’ senior field studies program in Colorado, it’s just the beginning.

“It’s going to be the real deal,” Porentas tells his students at Bear Creek High School in Lakewood.

“I think there’s no better way to bridge that gap than to have people in your home working with you, eating meals with you, just teaching you about their way of life,” he said.

After the book work and with the help of the Colorado Farm Bureau, each student is placed with a rural family to live and work with for one week.

“I say when we get there, we talk about their family stuff first,” one student is overheard saying.

From potato farmers in southern Colorado to cattle ranchers on the Eastern Plains.

“We should be doing culving work, which I’m pretty sure is birthing cows for next spring,” Jackson Centa said.

“Calving?” CBS Colorado Reporter Karen Morfitt clarified.

“Yeah, calving,” Centa laughed.

Centa and his classmate Lucas Hernandez landed in Hugo.

“I’m the fifth generation that’s been part of the operation. My kids will be the 6th generation,” Will Bledsoe said.

They joined the home of Bledsoe and his family.

“These are great young men that came out this year and last year and I think it’s eye opening for anyone, a whole new different perspective on what we are all about you know,” Bledsoe added.

CBS Colorado visited the Bledsoe ranch on day three of Centa and Hernandez’s live-in experience, when you might say they were still getting the hang of things.

“Working by 7, already pouring concrete by 7,” Centa said.

But already gaining new insight into food production and caring for livestock.

“Being able to experience something like this is once in a lifetime. I don’t know any other place that will let you birth a calf, so it’s cool,” Hernandez said.

They also left with a better understanding of the economic and political issues important to rural communities.

“These farmers, they work for themselves, so they work extremely hard just to make their own living and I think that’s really cool,” Centa added.

Lessons that at the end of the day know go far beyond a pass or fail grade.

“I have a new respect, and won’t take things for granted,” Centa ended.

Both students ended the week with thank you messages to the Bledsoe family relaying what memorable experience they had.

The field studies class is at Bear creek High, but Porentas says any Jefferson County student is welcome to sign up. You can find more information here.

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