Idaho Center Outdoor Education
Mission
The Idaho Center for Outdoor Education’s mission is to utilize its diverse natural setting to inspire students and the general public through a variety of educational and recreational experiences. The hands-on activities are designed to make the sciences and arts engaging, challenging and relevant for learners, while enhancing their appreciation and passion for the natural world.
The ICOE includes 86 acres of land located one half mile north of Basin Elementary School on Main Street which turns in to Elk Creek Road. The land was purchased by the Basin School District from te Bureau of Land Management under the agreement that the land would be used for recreation and education purposes. The area includes several old mining claims as well as Elk Creek and Spanish Fork Creek. The Basin School District has made improvements on the land with a series of grants including the construction of a vault toilet, ADA trail to the top of the property, zip-lines, fire breaks, and an 18 hole disc golf course to name a few.
The area is used through out the year for hiking and the school district uses the grounds as an outdoor classroom on a frequent basis. The entire student body, all 350 students, attend a fall and spring outdoor education day. The day includes a variety of service, education, and recreation activities for the entire day. This fall we even offered every student the opportunity to roast a hot dog and a S’more over a camp fire. In the spring the district invites a variety of outdoor educators, vendors, and professionals to present and offer interactive activities for half the day. Once the area receives a significant amount of snow grades K-12 participate in Snow School, a program developed by the Winter Wildland Alliance’s SnowSchool. Every student has the opportunity to snowshoe and learn about snow science. The district also offers a summer camp with different themes and targeted age groups.
SNOW SCHOOL FALL SPRING SUMMER CAMP NASA PROJECT
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