Fifth grade students participate in Outdoor Education at an off-site facility with Mesa staff, parents, and contract facilitators teaching the program. The program blends scientific inquiry with hands-on exploration, adventure, and creative expression to accommodate all learning styles.
Each fall, the fifth grade students participate in a 3-day, 2-night Outdoor Adventure Education Program at Camp LaForet in the Black Forest area outside of Colorado Springs. This program is entirely based on teambuilding techniques, cooperation with others, acceptance of differences, trust, and communication skills, all emphasized throughout the Low Rope Initiatives, Rock Climbing (in beautiful Castlewood Canyon), and High Ropes Challenges. The professionals of Tidewater Experiential Training Associates provide the adventure-based, experiential opportunities during the days, and the parents and teaching staff from Mesa provide the activities and supervision for the students at all other times. As a community, we have seen incredible positive growth in all students and are pleased at the carry-over into the academic classroom as a foundation for the fifth grade year.
