Hello Friends of Keystone Science School!

Welcome to our first quarterly E-newsletter. You have been a supporter of and/or participant in our programs over the recent years and we would like to keep you up to date on what’s happening at Keystone Science School (KSS). It is an exciting time at KSS with new programs being developed, master planning occurring for our site and the traditions of the past being carried forward in our programs for today and the future. Through this newsletter, we intend to keep you up to date on our campus planning, upcoming events and programs; share teacher, student and camper stories about what’s happening at KSS; and allow you to learn natural history with us as each season comes our way in the Rockies.

School Programs

With funding from The Summit Foundation, KSS has had the pleasure of partnering with Summit Middle School to use a series of KSS field experiences to break down cultural, racial and economic differences among students. In April 2005, in conjunction with the Summit Middle School orientation, every fifth grade student participated in team-building exercises developed to foster new relationships among students while inspiring respect for self, science, one another and the natural world. The second of these programs occurred in early September. This program built upon similar principles as the first to bring the students closer together and better appreciate what it means to be a positive member of the middle school community. The feedback KSS received from these activities has been positive. (see insert at right)

The remaining two programs to integrate these incoming middle school students will occur this fall. Students will learn how the principles used to resolve the conflicts surrounding environmental issues can be applied to their own lives.

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Camp Corner

A record number of youth participated in this past summer’s science education camps. The staff had a great summer with the campers as they camped in the outdoors, participated in challenging hikes to an alpine lake or a great view, or performed activities in the cabins with their cabin groups. To meet the growing needs of today’s campers, KSS has already begun planning for 2006 summer programs.

As the young session of camp that was introduced this summer was quite popular, KSS will continue to offer a shorter session exclusively for 7-9 year old campers interested in getting an introduction to camp who aren’t quite ready to be away from home for a week. KSS will continue to offer the week-long camp sessions for Discovery Camp, Counselor Assistant Program and Keystone Mountain Adventures. The minimum age for our Discovery Camp sessions will be 8 years old so that all campers who attended this past summer can attend for a week next summer. Session dates for 2006 are listed below.

New Programs

KSS recently introduced customized educational programming for retreats, reunions, and meetings. Groups can stay at our historic campus, eat meals, use our meeting spaces and be accompanied in the field to learn about the forests through hiking, cross-country skiing or snowshoeing.

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Thank you!

Keystone Science School was the beneficiary of five special events this summer, which brought in over $32,000 to benefit Keystone Science School's inquiry-based science education camps and field experiences for school groups. We sincerely appreciate the 200 businesses and individuals that contributed in various ways.

Special thanks to the following businesses and organizations for hosting each of these events:

• Dos Locos Restaurant
• Keystone Neighbourhood Company
• Keystone Resort
• National Distributing Company
• The River House Collection
• Warriors Cycling
• XTERRA/Team Unlimited

Additional thanks go to the volunteers—of 100 of you—who ensured the success of each event—and in particular the following individuals who fulfilled critical roles in the organizing or volunteering in each of these events:

• Linda Clem
• Mitzie Hawkins
• Becky Johnson
• Kikken Miller
• Joey & Bill Terriquez

In addition to the aforementioned special event contributors, we greatly appreciate a $25,000 contribution recently received from General Motors Corporation. This contribution is designated to develop a strategy for a Center for Education at The Keystone Center. Funding will enable outside expertise to assess and evaluate Keystone Science School’s current program offerings, potential growth opportunities, strategic synergies with The Keystone Center for Science and Public Policy and Professional Education and Leadership programs, all to realize increased impact through strategic, smart growth.

Land Use and Campus Planning

With the approval of the Snake River Master Planning, we are moving forward on KSS’ own master planning process. This will culminate in doing our own PUD (Planned Urban Development) plan that will allow for us to rezone the property and recognize the nine single family units of density, granted this spring by the Snake River Planning Commission and approved by the Board of County Commissioners.

We have retained a respected local planner, John Humphreys, to coordinate the process. We anticipate the bulk of this effort to be finalized by the end of the year, with a final wetlands study to be conducted in spring ’06. We will be working with the planning department to schedule a work session in anticipation of presenting a draft plan sometime in the next few months.

Upcoming Events and Announcements

2006 Summer Programs – registration has begun for 2006:

Session I - July 5-8 (7-10 years old Discovery Camp only)

Session II - July 10-15

Session III - July 17-22

Session IV - July 24-29

Discovery Camp, Counselor Assistant Program, and Keystone Mountain Adventures will be held during Sessions II, III, and IV.

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“We were very impressed with how the sister schools interacted with each other and how respectful the students were with each other and with the adults. The activities that you had planned were very well organized and the students enjoyed them. It was obvious that they helped bring the students together and the difference in how they interacted between the first activity to the last was astounding.”
- Summit Middle School staff