The Youth Programs team has been busy this fall! As of November 8th, we’ve taught 1,443 students! As winter creeps in, it’s time for a seasonal shift in our work. We’re starting to plan for slower program weeks, and in their spare time, educators are choosing and planning their passion projects. On top of teaching full time, attending graduate school year-round, conducting their action research projects, participating in regular coaching and observation sessions, serving on a monthly committee, leading after-school programs, writing curricula, and writing blog posts like this one (whew!), grad fellows also develop a passion project. These are meant to allow fellows to follow something they’re passionate about in the form of a long-term project that will leave a lasting impact on Walking Mountains. Below are the passion projects each graduate fellow is working on this school year.

 

Keaton Cloven (2nd year grad fellow): Creating a new "Build a Beaver" - We often do “Build a _____” to talk to kids about animal and plant adaptations. I’m building a new “Build a Beaver” that shows off beavers’ adaptations because our current one needs some work!
Social Media - Posting what we do in YP to Facebook and Instagram to show the community what our team is up to. If we didn't post... who would? 

Ryan Walton (2nd year grad fellow): For my passion project, I am working with Walking Mountains’ Youth Programs Outreach (YPO) staff and the high school Green Team at Battle Mountain High School. I am looking forward to building relationships and experience working with high school students as well as assisting the YPO team as the BMHS Green Team grows with many new students this year.  

Katie Wareham (2nd year grad fellow): I'll be heading back to my roots with Community Programs to ski with Smokey! This is a chance to work with the Forest Service to engage and educate the public about forest fires vs. wildfires. Head up to Vail Mountain on Wednesdays for a chance to snap a pic with Smokey Bear!

 

Katie Geraci (2nd year grad fellow): I am leading a quarterly environmental book club in collaboration with the Bookworm in Edwards. We’re calling this the Reading Mountains book club! This stemmed from a writing workshop that I led at the Bookworm this past spring, which focused on crafting hopeful environmental stories for the future. Our next meeting is Wednesday, February 21st. We’ll be reading Kinship: Belonging in a World of Relations, Volume 1: Planet. It’s free, and snacks and drinks are provided!

David Geddes (1st year grad fellow): I am exploring options for improving interdepartmental communications. When I’m not pondering how I’ll do this, you can find me doing Wikipedia deep dives on obscure historical topics or singing sea shanties.

Ania Gonzalez (1st year grad fellow): I will be working on creating an English-to-Spanish "cheat sheet" for the team that includes basic nature terms, care questions, and behavior management phrases. I also want to go through programs and create an English/Spanish word bank for the key terms!

Tayler Branson (1st year grad fellow): I am taking over the mentorship program. This program is where the four graduate fellows in their second-year partner with the four incoming graduate fellows and act as a resource for them. The relationship begins before our new educators arrive in Avon. New fellows can reach out to their mentor and ask them any question their heart desires. The mentorship continues as programming begins so that new educators can learn from their more seasoned peers how to teach a variety of diverse curricula. The mentorship allows for one-on-one professional development and a built-in best buddy! 

Savanna Henning (1st year grad fellow): My passion project is to continue on the legacy and mission of the Pete & Pat garden, feeding educators and WM staff fresh veggies since 2021. I will be prepping the beds for winter, planning for spring, summer, and fall garden crops, indoor seed starting with the help of our Sowing Seeds Manager, Erin, and hopefully hosting a garden party in the fall! Nothing beets a gardening passion project!

These passion projects highlight our team’s diverse skills and interests. Their contributions to Walking Mountains’ interdepartmental and outreach efforts support an innovative, ever-evolving organization that can best meet the needs of our community. Next time you see a grad fellow, give em’ a high five (or maybe a treat), and ask them how their passion project is going!