Sisters schools expanding outdoor ed program
The Sisters School District announced Thursday the expansion of its Interdisciplinary Environmental Expedition program to serve middle school students, beginning this week.
The only comprehensive middle and high school-based outdoor education program in the state of Oregon, IEE will now be available to 60 eighth-grade Sisters Middle School students, in addition to Sisters High School juniors and seniors.
“This program is so unique and it speaks to what Central Oregon is all about,” said Sisters High School Teacher Rand Runco, who helped found the program. “It provides students with hands-on experiences they can’t get in the classroom and a strong appreciation for the outdoors, as well as critical thinking and problem solving skills.”
According to Runco, the IEE program also increases self-confidence, connectedness and communication skills that he believes will benefit students in any career they choose.
While some schools across the country offer extracurricular outdoor school programs, most run for three or five days. The Sisters School District IEE program is offered for two periods a day over a six-month timeframe, with students earning three class credits.
“We’ve seen how our high school students have been truly enriched by the program so we’re excited to bring this unique learning experience to our middle school students as well,” said Sisters School District Superintendent Jim Golden.
Golden added that the IEE program integrates environmental science, English and outdoor education to give students a hands-on learning experience about weather, geography, climate and other aspects of the Sisters area.
The curriculum also reinforces earth science concepts relevant to Oregon’s state science content standards.
With a combination of class work, group discussions and numerous field study day trips, the students build up to two 3-day expeditions, including a supervised hike up Middle Sister in the fall and a three-day whitewater raft and camping trip down the Deschutes River in the spring.
There are also numerous day trips around the town of Sisters. Class themes follow the natural geography of the Deschutes River Basin from the high mountains to the Columbia River.
“We’re also looking forward to having the Sisters High School IEE juniors and seniors mentor the middle schools students,” said Golden. “We’re extremely proud to provide this unique opportunity to our students.”
For more information about the Interdisciplinary Environmental Expedition program, contact the Sisters School District Administration Office at (541) 549- 8521.
