Parents, students try to save outdoor lab

JEFFERSON COUNTY - Tylin Stiller looks around the Mount Evans Outdoor Lab School and appreciates the experience. She doesn't want to be among the last to go through the historic program. "All of your classes are outside and it's almost like a new classroom and a new learning experience," Stiller, a sixth grader from Evergreen Middle School, said.

Two weeks ago, Jefferson County School Board President Dave Thomas announced a series of proposed cuts due to a reduction in funding from the state. The suspension of the outdoor lab schools at Mount Evans and Windy Peak is on the list aimed at saving the district approximately $900,000 each year.


That spurred an effort ranging from school kids to nonprofit foundations to try to raise funds to keep the program alive after more than 50 years. For example, students at Hackberry Hill Elementary had a school-wide fundraiser. A fifth grader in Lakewood held a bake sale.

"What Colorado has to offer is Colorado," David Epp, principal of the Mount Evans school, said. "So, that time in the mountains, that time in nature, that time with animals and the hands-on experience is just something kids can't duplicate anywhere else."

The Outdoor Lab Foundation is a nonprofit which supports the two campuses. It is spear-heading a larger effort appealing to corporations and those who went through the outdoor lab for donations.

"It's been going since 1956 as a program," Kathy Weiss, chairperson of the Outdoor Lab Foundation, said. "We have grandparents in our community that went to this lab school."

Weiss believes, collectively, they can raise $900,000 by June to keep the program going for next year.

"I feel very positive," Weiss said. "The ground swell from schools and from individuals has been phenomenal."

Epp says it will be a tall order to make the deadline.

"We don't want to interrupt the history of it that every student in JeffCo is able to go through this program," Epp said. "Just because we have tough budget times, it's not the time to cut an important program like this."

Tylin hopes it is saved for the sake of the younger kids behind her.

"I have three brothers and sisters and they won't be able to experience it if they cut it down," Tylin said.

Tylin and the other kids say outdoor lab is more than just learning. They say spending a week in the mountains with classmates is a rite of passage.

"It's kind of strange being away from my family for this long," Tylin said. "I think it's like getting you ready for life."

The Outdoor Lab Foundation will be holding a fundraising gala on April 9 on the University of Denver campus. The feature speaker will be photographer John Fielder.

If you want find out more about this event or how to donate, visit http://www.outdoorlabfoundation.org/.

Tylin says the whole idea of the labs being suspended is disheartening.

"It's like thinking my school's getting shut down almost," Tylin said. "'Cause this is part of my school."

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