The Summer Science Adventure programs at the Teton Valley Community School in Victor, ID have been in high demand this summer!
TVCS offers two different types of programming for children every summer. The “Young Naturalists” program is geared for children ages 3 yrs. to entering Kindergarten, and provides ample time for exploration both on and off the TVCS campus. This summer, these little folks spent every Wednesday morning working with Full Circle Education at Snowdrift Farm in Victor, learning about the animals and food that is grown there. They also trekked to many of the streams and trails located within Teton Valley, exploring Teton Canyon, Mike Harris, Henderson Canyon and the Teton River.
The “Active Explorers” program provides experiences for children ages 1st-4th grade, and is an excellent example of place-based education. Staffed by a different “expert” counselor for each theme day, these children have spent the summer hiking and exploring on Mondays, studying the watershed of Teton Valley on Tuesdays, immersing themselves in local farms and local food on Wednesdays, discovering their artistic side on Thursdays, and practicing the art of bicycling on Fridays. Campers are off campus every day in some capacity, and focus their investigations locally. Highlights have included: investigating oxygen levels in the Teton River, sketching live birds at the Raptor Center, learning the art of beekeeping from a local bee guru, studying wildflowers and a service-learning project with the Victor Bike Park.
The summer will conclude with a week-long program entitled “Surviving Teton Valley”, so popular that we have added a second concurrent session. These campers will hone their skills for surviving in the wild, and maybe even meet up with a true-to-life mountain man!
All in all, the TVCS summer programs 2013 have provided experiences for over 850 user days to children from all over the country, and we are proud to share the magic of Teton Valley with so many eager little minds!
