From the Classroom to the Canyon: An Award-Winning Outdoor Experience

Some of the best learning happens outside the classroom! This past September, we took local elementary school students to explore one of Colorado’s most stunning landscapes: Colorado National Monument. With its towering rock formations, expansive canyons and unique desert ecosystem, the monument provided the perfect setting for hands-on environmental education and outdoor adventure. Students had the opportunity to learn firsthand about the natural world, challenge themselves through new experiences, build friendships and develop a deeper appreciation for the places we call home.

Exploring the Landscape

We brought students from Brush Creek Elementary School, Red Hill Elementary School and Stone Creek Charter School to experience Colorado National Monument firsthand. Throughout the trip, we focused on the area’s geology, ecology and Indigenous history, giving students a chance to learn about the natural processes that shaped the landscape and the plants, animals and ecosystems that make it special.

Hiking gave students the chance to see these concepts come to life, turning lessons about the natural world into hands-on discoveries. Students also had the opportunity to try rock climbing, challenge themselves, build confidence and experience a new outdoor activity. Experiences like these encourage curiosity and show students that learning can happen anywhere, especially when they have the chance to explore for themselves.

A Little Unexpected Magic

One of the highlights of this year’s trip was something we couldn’t have planned: dramatic thunderstorms rolling across the monument. Watching the storms move through the canyon landscape added an unforgettable element to the experience and offered a powerful reminder of the forces that shape the natural world.

Outdoor adventures don’t always go exactly as expected, and that’s part of what makes them special. Being outside encourages us to stay curious, adapt to changing conditions and appreciate the moments we couldn’t have planned ourselves.

An Award-Winning Program

We’re excited to share that our Colorado National Monument program received the Columbine Award for Excellence in Programming, recognizing the work that goes into creating meaningful outdoor recreation experiences for our community.

After restarting the program in 2024 following the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve continued building opportunities for local students to get outside, explore new places and learn through hands-on experiences. Since restarting, the program has served nearly 500 students, teachers and chaperones from six local elementary schools.

We’re proud of the work our Outdoor Recreation team does to make these trips possible and grateful for the partnerships with local schools that help bring these experiences to life.

Connecting Our Community With the Outdoors

At Mountain Recreation, we believe outdoor recreation is about more than just getting outside. It’s about building confidence, discovering new interests, learning new skills and creating memories along the way. By partnering with local schools and providing opportunities to explore places like Colorado National Monument, we help make outdoor experiences more accessible to the next generation.

We’re proud to create opportunities for local students to discover Colorado’s natural spaces, learn beyond the classroom and build connections with the outdoors that can last a lifetime.