When students arrive at the new Transformative Adventures in Hands-on Outdoor Education (TAHOE) Lab and Outdoor School, they’ll unpack sleeping bags and step into the forest instead of a classroom. Here, they’ll learn by exploring the world around them. For many, it will be their first overnight experience in nature, and thanks to a grant from the Excellence in Education Foundation, they’ll have a comfortable place to rest after a day of hands-on learning and discovery.
Excellence in Education provided funding for the purchase of bunk beds and mattresses for the district’s new outdoor school, a project led by Truckee Tahoe Unified School District’s Outdoor Education Task Force and Strategic Plan Lead, Ed Hilton. The bunks, made by ESS Universal, will outfit the new facility with durable, metal-framed beds designed to last for years. The district selected ESS Universal as the most cost-effective and long-lasting option, providing 90 single-over-single and 10 single-over-full bunks at a total cost of $103,492.73.
An Outdoor Place to Learn, Connect, and Grow
The TAHOE Outdoor School will provide immersive outdoor education experiences that support academic achievement, social and emotional growth, and environmental awareness.
Students spend their days learning about the natural world through multidisciplinary, field-based lessons that foster teamwork, problem-solving, and curiosity. The program also gives students across the district the chance to connect in new ways. Kids have said that they love getting to meet students from other schools:
I like staying at the Outdoor School because we get to be in nature. It’s really cool because we get to connect with kids from Truckee Elementary and other schools because we get to stay in a cabin with a bunch of other kids.
I love being outdoors so much. It’s really beautiful, and the trees are gorgeous.
A Vision Backed by Community Support
The Excellence in Education board voted unanimously to support the grant request, recognizing its potential to offer more outdoor education for students across the region. Board members described the TAHOE Outdoor School as a game-changer that aligns directly with the foundation’s mission to enhance learning opportunities for all students. Some comments about the project from the Excellence in Education Board include:
Investing in more outdoor educational opportunities is mission-aligned, and I believe Ed has a long-term vision on how to monetize the property such that operational overhead is taken care of, and expansion of opportunities and programming is made possible both inside and outside TTUSD.
Funding beds could make this project happen for TTUSD. I am a true believer in outdoor education that incorporates multi-disciplinary fieldwork learning, SEL (social-emotional learning), and character development. I want to see this type of learning become more equitable for all students in TTUSD and other districts.
Integrating this experience into the district-wide outdoor education curriculum is a game-changer and will have a profoundly positive impact on all our students. The social-emotional benefits of camp are invaluable and can shape their futures in meaningful ways.
The new facility will allow TTUSD to host students throughout the year and, in time, share the space with other schools and organizations.
The Excellence in Education Foundation’s investment in the TAHOE Outdoor School ensures that more students will have access to nature-based learning, and experiences that spark wonder, deepen understanding, and build lifelong connections to the Sierra.
