Please join me in helping Eagle Rock School (ERS) raise funds for our Graduate Higher Education Scholarship Fund!

How can you help?

Every year, thousands of numbered rubber ducks are released into the river in downtown Estes Park… and the race is on! The idea is simple, the fastest ducks to reach the end of the race win prizes for those who’ve “adopted” ducks. The more ducks you adopt, the better chance you have to win a prize, but more importantly, for every duck purchased $22 out of every $25 goes towards the ERS grad fund. More details can be found here: https://www.epduckrace.org/ and here https://www.visitestespark.com/events-calendar/spring-events/duck-race/

To Purchase a Duck:

1. Simply point your camera at this QR code     OR open this link https://adopt.epduckrace.org/products/eagle-rock-school

2. Select the number of ducks you’d like to adopt… don’t miss out on the Quack Pack to get a sixth duck for free!

3. If you have allegiance to one of the six student houses please name it in the “Seller Section” shown below. At Eagle Rock, every student and staff are assigned a “House,” and our houses are competing to see who can raise the most funds.

Thank you for taking the time to consider helping our Eagle Rock graduates! Any help you provide is truly appreciated. If you’d rather donate less or more funds, directly, you can also donate on our website here: https://eaglerockschool.org/product/eagle-rock-donation/

Thank you and let the fastest duck win!

In this inspiring episode, veteran Street Poet David Sanchez remembers his epic journey from the streets of South Central L.A. to the confines of Central Juvenile Hall to the wilderness of the Rocky Mountains and California backcountry to the organic gardens that have become both his passion and his vocation.  As the founder of SEED & SOL ORGANIC GARDENING, David stands today as a living testament to the transformational power of poetry and the natural world.  We hope his story serves to remind you of your own true nature.

This STREET POETS PODCAST episode

“TRUE NATURE: The David Sanchez Story”

is a production of Street Poets Inc. (streetpoetsinc.com)

• Hosted by Art Quiros

• Produced by Chris Henrikson

• Editing & Sound Design by Art Quiros

• Interview with David Sanchez

• Original Poetry & Music by David Sanchez: this episode features original poems and songs including but not limited to: “Where was God?” “Home (Where I’m From),” “If You Knew Me,” “Grains of Hope,” “Little Man,” “Running” and “American Me.”  All of these tracks and more are available on Street Poets Inc. albums via SoundCloud and Bandcamp.

• Street Poets “I Got Love” Podcast Theme Music features:

Vocals by BRIA & Taylor Code, Music by Dave Wittman

For more information about David Sanchez’s organic gardening work in the Los Angeles area, follow SEED AND SOL on Instagram.

For more information about Street Poets’ youth outreach programs in the streets, schools and probation facilities of Los Angeles and beyond: streetpoetsinc.com

METAPHORS BE WITH YOU!

The second in a new series of storytelling presentations featured five Estes Park residents sharing their thoughts on the theme “Why I Love America.” The five talks took place in Performance Park on Tuesday, July 13. The Everyday Estes Riverside Chats are an initiative of the Estes Valley Resiliency Collaborative. The speakers for this chat were gathered with the help of the Estes Park Nonprofit Resource Center.

Carlos Perez and Elizabeth Rivera

Perez and Rivera work as house parents at Eagle Rock School in Estes Park. Carlos is from Venezuela and Rivera is from Peru.

Perez’ father brought the family to Miami to escape from the Communist regime gaining power in his home country.

“This is my second home and has been my country for 25 years,” Perez said.

In 2017, Perez went to renew his green card and got caught in a legal mess. He was detained for 185 days and threatened with deportation.

“In detention, I spent my time helping immigrants from places like Guatemala and Honduras learn English,” Perez explained. “My son would come visit me and asked if I was in a uniform, did that make me a bad guy. It was difficult.”

With legal help, Perez was able to get out of detention and is now on his way to becoming a U.S. citizen. On Tuesday night, he was sporting a shirt that said “Freedom.”

Rivera described their experience as house parents as, “a beautiful experience. As an immigrant, I have been adapting to a new culture and customs. I have helped some families experiencing some of the same challenges I am. It’s been rewarding to support students and see how they change.”

Rivera left her home country for new opportunities and has been a U.S. citizen for 27 years.

How did you find out about the Eagle Rock School and why did you decide to get involved?

After I finished my master’s degree and moved to the state of Colorado from Germany, I decided to become a high school science teacher. I found Eagle Rock through their offering of a certified Colorado Department of Education teacher licensure program, which is a part of their professional development mission. Along with a handful of other programs in the state, it allows a person to pursue a teaching certificate through an alternative licensing process instead of going back to school. It’s a training program that you do on-the-job to become a teacher. I decided to join Eagle Rock’s community after learning about the unique offering they have to become a teacher through a highly supportive mentorship program, the opportunity to learn and put into practice alternative education, and the residential school setting which is in the mountains outside of Estes Park near Rocky Mountain National Park.

Could you talk about the school values and how they serve to guide the overall design of the school?

Eagle Rock is a completely value-driven school. A fundamental philosophy, “Eight Plus Five Equals Ten,” has been a part Eagle Rock since its inception. The eight themes serve as guideposts for the overall school design. These themes are monitored by the school’s leadership team to ensure that they are alive and well in the school. The five expectations serve as the organizing framework for our academic program. Students have to demonstrate proficiency in each of the five expectations prior to graduation. The ten commitments are the values our students are striving to internalize as they live the experience of Eagle Rock. Here are each of those in a graphic:

Could you give us an example of how proficiency in any one of these values would be demonstrated by a student?

As you might have noticed, these values can be reflected in many different ways. Students are encouraged to develop all of these values in ways that truly reflects their best self. A few things that I’ve witnessed students practice often at Eagle Rock are daily morning exercise routines and “gate runs.” The hilly road down to the gate of the road is about a 3-mile run, which students are expected to complete 2x per week in the morning before breakfast. Students also become leaders in the community and through those leadership roles they definitely exhibit many Eagle Rock values. There are endless opportunities for students (and staff) to align their actions with these values, and I think the emphasis on these values leads to lifelong impacts for everyone who has been a part of this community.

What was your own school experience (kindergarten-grade 12) like and how does the Eagle Rock School differ. Or what are the major ways that this system differs from the typical American public-school system classroom?

Growing up, I went to public schools in different parts of the country, including urban and rural settings, and the way that I learned to succeed in school (stay quiet, listen to the teacher, follow the rules) doesn’t always translate to success in real life. University level education helped me break out of some of those patterns, but I still felt frustrated by the end of my time in school because even with my academic success, school still failed me in a lot of ways. Eagle Rock has an entirely different approach to thinking about and doing education. At Eagle Rock, learning is recognized as an integral part of life and something that happens all the time, every day and doesn’t have to be restricted to a specific environment, classroom or culture. School here is designed to be authentic, meaning that learnings can be applied to real life and will contribute to growth and future success. We don’t do school just because we have to. Explaining all of the differences between Eagle Rock and a typical American public school would take a response as lengthy as a book to explain. Simplifying an answer to this question, Eagle Rock is a community that operates through passion, compassion and love, and continuously challenges and creates new norms.

What does it take to be a teacher or instructor at this school?

You have to get comfortable being uncomfortable. In my experience, becoming a teacher alone has been one of the biggest challenges of my life, but doing it at a place like Eagle Rock has simultaneously put me face-to-face with all the best and worst parts about myself. You have to be ready to dig deep into learning about your identity and how that interacts with and impacts others. When it comes to the instructional aspects of working at Eagle Rock, you should be ready to throw out most of what you think you know about education. Eagle Rock definitely has opened my eyes to new and exciting ways to be an educator, as well as shown me the not-so-perfect side to education.

What is your responsibility as an instructor?

Grossly oversimplifying, my main responsibility as the Science/Math Instructional Fellow is to provide learning opportunities for students through classes alongside co-teachers. Most of my focus is on planning and teaching classes while also going through the Colorado state licensure program to continue growing in my practice as a teacher. It’s important to note that my position as a Public Allies Fellow also means that I have a large variety of responsibilities connected to leadership, growth, and community involvement. Working at Eagle Rock also means that I’m automatically a member of a community and choosing to be an active member of this community is a really important part of the job for me. I’m a part of a house team (students live in houses and all staff are also associated to one of the houses), play a role in student advisory, take part in weekly intramurals (before the pandemic), and have evening duty shifts (also before the pandemic).

Could you talk about the orientation, this 24 day isolated wilderness experience that students have to undertake?

I think this might be one of the most intriguing parts of Eagle Rock and something that I’ll always share because it helps people understand the priorities and values of the school more deeply. At the beginning of each trimester, new students come to campus for only the first week, and then leave for their New Student Orientation – which is a 24-day wilderness trip. Throughout this journey, students are backpacking in a wilderness area in the western U.S. and learning backpacking skills, but importantly intensely focusing on group dynamics and self-reflection. The trip includes a “solo” in which students spend 3 days alone with minimal contact to other people. I’ve witnessed students bring back things from wilderness such as conflict resolution skills and techniques like “circles” as well as newfound confidence in who they are. Students also come back knowing one other better than most know them – spending extended amounts of time in the wilderness as a group brings out the rawest forms of people. Knowing how my own experience submerged in nature impacted me, I’m sure that these wilderness orientations leave a profound impact on the students that complete them.

What kind of changes have you seen the students at Eagle rock go through as a result of their experience there?

I can’t pull this from my own personal experience because I haven’t had the opportunity to watch a student from their first trimester all the way to graduation, so my perspective is piggy-backing a lot off of the reflections of long-term staff that I work with. Students are spending their late teen – early adult years at Eagle Rock, which are usually very dynamic times in people’s lives and decisions made during this time can arguably have a higher impact on life trajectories than other times in our lives. Eagle Rock provides so many different opportunities for students to grow and learn in ways that they can highly personalize to their own lives and allows students to use that time to set their own trajectory. Some systemic and personal factors that would have impacted a student before they came to Eagle Rock can be mitigated in ways that wasn’t possible before, and the brilliance of the individual shines brighter than ever before. I have witnessed students graduate recently who have so many amazing characteristics and talents that range from advocating for themselves and others, practicing a growth-mindset, or being amazing artists and musicians. I don’t necessarily give Eagle Rock all of the credit for the successes of these students, but I know the school providing the opportunities that it does makes a huge difference.

If people are curious and want to either learn more or get involved with Eagle Rock School, where can they go to learn more?

All of these answers are based on my own personal experience, and everyone will have their own view and perspective about an experience at Eagle Rock. If you want to learn more go to Eaglerockschool.org. If you’re interested in their awesome year-long fellowship program, visit https://sites.google.com/a/eaglerockschool.org/eagle-rock-public-allies-fellows/job-posting

Eagle Rock School and Professional Development Center is a full-service not-for-profit educational reform organization. Eagle Rock operates a tuition-free, year-round residential high school in Estes Park, Colorado, and provides professional development services at school and community sites around the United States.

Para ver esta información en español, por favor ver al final de esta sección

Dear Eagle Rock Community,

We have witnessed the deaths of Black Americans including George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and countless others who have been targeted because of their skin color. This is horrific and unquestionably wrong. Period.  These tragedies go against everything we stand for. We denounce this violence with every cell in our bodies. The pain, hurt, frustration, and anger felt by countless Americans, but especially communities of color must be acknowledged.

The recent events have left the Eagle Rock community reeling — we are angry and sad, yet determined. We are committed to stand for justice for as long as it takes. The call is for everyone in the ERS community to stand in solidarity with the Black Community. We call for justice.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Your voice matters. We hear you. We see you feeling, learning, questioning and taking action. Each of you has something to contribute to our community and world because of your own unique lived experiences. Artists, make art. Speakers, speak out. Question everything. Wherever you are and whatever it is that you do, we invite you to use what is in your reach to get educated and educate others. We must choose to learn the lessons these times are delivering to us; we have a sacred obligation to equip ourselves with the knowledge of history in today’s reality.

Knowledge is power. Continue to have courageous conversations with others and within our community. Take action, in big and small ways. If you can, GO VOTE.  The time for change is now. We need politicians that reflect our values of antiracism and justice, and we need necessary laws to be put in place. This is how we practice the arts of citizenship and democratic living. We invite you to organize, stay alert, and stay focused. Most importantly, stay alive.

Eagle Rock is committed to fighting injustice through education and advocacy. We stand united in love with an uncompromising commitment to justice.

Embodying our Eagle Rock values and commitments is how we fight racism and seek justice in the world.

Living in respectful harmony means we cannot be silent.

Living in respectful harmony means supporting oppressed people.

Living in respectful harmony means fighting for justice for all.

Living in respectful harmony means Black Lives Matter.

Love, Light, Leadership, Power, and Freedom,

Megan Rebeiro, Nia Dawson, Jesse Tovar, Beth Ellis, Sarah Bertucci, and Jeff Liddle

In solidarity with Eagle Rock staff:  Amelia la Plante Horne, Anastacia M. Galloway Reed, Annie Kelston, Aspacelia Geranios, Brett Youngerman, Burt Bowles, Carlos Perez, Cedric Josey, Chelsea Ehret, Chris Lamar, Christi Kelston, Christopher Iafrati, Courthney Russell, Jr., Cynthia Elkins, Dan B. Marigny Jr., Dan Condon, Dan Madson, Diana Rusin, Ed Perry, Eliza Wicks-Arshack, Elizabeth Rivera, Janet Johnson, Jesse Tovar, Joan Cordova, Jocelyn Rodriguez, John Marshall, Josán Perales, L’Tanya Perkins, Laila Hosseinzadeh, Lucía Sicius, Mary Loomis, Michelle Franco, Nannette Chisholm, Sandy Rivera, Sara Benge, Shortz Ziegler, Stephany Subdiaz, Susan D’Amico, Terry Tierney, Tommy McAree, Travis Burhart

__________________________________________________________________

Amor, Luz, Liderazgo, Poder, y Libertad,

Megan Rebeiro, Nia Dawson, Jesse Tovar, Beth Ellis, Sarah Bertucci y Jeff Liddle

En solidaridad con el personal de Eagle Rock:  Amelia la Plante Horne, Anastacia M. Galloway Reed, Annie Kelston, Aspacelia Geranios, Brett Youngerman, Burt Bowles, Carlos Perez, Cedric Josey, Chelsea Ehret, Chris Lamar, Christi Kelston, Christopher Iafrati, Courthney Russell, Jr., Cynthia Elkins, Dan B. Marigny Jr., Dan Condon, Dan Madson, Diana Rusin, Ed Perry, Eliza Wicks-Arshack, Elizabeth Rivera, Janet Johnson, Jesse Tovar, Joan Cordova, Jocelyn Rodriguez, John Marshall, Josán Perales, L’Tanya Perkins, Laila Hosseinzadeh, Lucía Sicius, Mary Loomis, Michelle Franco, Nannette Chisholm, Sandy Rivera, Sara Benge, Shortz Ziegler, Stephany Subdiaz, Susan D’Amico, Terry Tierney, Tommy McAree, Travis Burhart

Para ver esta información en español, por favor ver al final de esta sección

Dear Eagle Rock Community,

As we watch the nation and world confront the reality of systemic racism, we want to acknowledge that we also have work to do here. Eagle Rock, too, is examining our past to identify experiences that need reconciliation. When former community members speak out about their painful experiences on our campus, we must take a deeper look. We’re committed to following up on these issues. We want to confront our past — it’s the only way to build a new future. 

Our first job is to listen and then to take action to continue the work to dismantle the horrific legacies of racism and sexism. We are committed to our diversity, equity, and inclusion work that has been our organizational priority for the past two years. It will continue to be our priority for as long as it takes to manifest a just and equitable community. This work is uprooting hundreds of years of oppression and is critical, messy, and necessary. We don’t want to hide from our past — we want to listen, learn, repair, and grow. 

You have our commitment that all of these concerns get reviewed and have follow-up. Culture change happens when we name that racism or sexism has occurred when we compassionately support healing of those who have been harmed, and when people are held accountable for the harm they have caused. This has been and will continue to be our process. Eagle Rock will not tolerate racism or sexism in our community. We will look into all matters past and present. If you have any questions, comments or need to express a concern please reach out to Jeff Liddle, Head of School, or any member of leadership: Megan Rebeiro, Nia Dawson, Jesse Tovar, Sarah Bertucci, and Beth Ellis. 

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Estimada comunidad de Eagle Rock:

Mientras observamos a la nación y al mundo confrontar la realidad del racismo sistémico, queremos reconocer que también tenemos trabajo que hacer aquí. Eagle Rock también está examinando nuestro pasado para identificar experiencias que necesitan reconciliación. Cuando los ex-miembros de la comunidad hablan sobre sus experiencias dolorosas en nuestro campus, debemos escucharlos más profundamente. Estamos comprometidos a realizar un seguimiento de estos problemas. Queremos confrontar nuestro pasado: es la única forma de construir un nuevo futuro. 

Nuestro primer trabajo es escuchar y luego tomar medidas para continuar con el trabajo de deconstruir los horrendos legados de racismo y sexismo. Estamos comprometidos con nuestro trabajo de diversidad, equidad e inclusión que ha sido nuestra prioridad organizacional durante los últimos dos años. Seguirá siendo nuestra prioridad tanto tiempo como sea necesario para manifestar una comunidad justa y equitativa. Este trabajo está arraigando en cientos de años de opresión. El trabajo es crítico y extremamente necesario. No queremos escondernos de nuestro pasado, queremos escuchar, aprender, reparar, y crecer. 

Tienen nuestro compromiso de que todas estas inquietudes se revisen y tengan seguimiento. Históricamente el cambio cultural ocurre cuando se nombra lo que ha ocurrido en relación con el racismo o el sexismo, cuando apoyamos con compasión la curación de aquellos que han sido perjudicados, y cuando las personas son responsables por el daño que han causado. Este ha sido y seguirá siendo nuestro proceso. Eagle Rock no tolerará el racismo o el sexismo en nuestra comunidad. Analizaremos todos los asuntos pasados ​​y presentes. Si tiene alguna pregunta, comentario o necesita expresar una inquietud, comuníquese con Jeff Liddle, el director de la escuela, o cualquier otro miembro del equipo de liderazgo: Megan Rebeiro, Nia Dawson, Jesse Tovar, Sarah Bertucci y Beth Ellis. 

The health of Eagle Rock students and staff is a primary focus of ours. As we monitor the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease-2019), we are writing to keep you apprised of the actions and policies we are enacting to keep students and our staff protected.

In response to the rapidly changing COVID-19 circumstances — and in consultation with state and national agencies — we have placed restrictions on student and staff travel, as well as on visitors to our campus in Estes Park. We’ve also increased our diligence around campus in the areas of cleaning and sanitizing, and we’ve mounted a campaign to encourage hand washing and even healthier habits.

With all of this in mind, students returned home on Wednesday, March 11, 2020 with a plan for supporting remote learning so they can stay on track with their academic progress while at home as we wrap up our winter trimester.  

At this time, we anticipate starting the summer trimester as previously planned — on May 11. We expect before that time, that a lot more will be known about COVID-19, including whether our summer trimester start date will hold.

We are very grateful for the strength and togetherness of the Eagle Rock community. These are difficult times and we appreciate our community’s understanding and flexibility as we sort through this uncharted territory. We’ve been through tough times before, and without fail, they teach us important lessons and strengthen our resolve. The health and wellbeing of students and staff is one of our highest priorities and we’re holding that at the center of our decision-making.  

Something wasn’t working about high school. Either they were brilliant and bored or addicted and homeless. Eagle Rock School is a residential high school for young people not well-matched with their prior school.

Located on a square mile of mountain wilderness in Estes Park Colorado, Eagle Rock is a project of American Honda.

Students apply to the tuition-free school with the support of an adult sponsor. Students enter before the age of 18 and spend at least two years on campus.

Eagle Rock learners start with a three-week wilderness experience (watch the trailer of a documentary). For most students, the interpersonal dynamics are even more challenging than the outdoor experiences.

There are eight themes that serve as guideposts for the overall school design. Four related to individual integrity: intellectual discipline, physical fitness, spiritual development, and aesthetic expressions. Four relate to citizenship: service to others, cross-cultural understanding, democratic governance, and environmental stewardship.

There is no scope or sequence but there are five expectations that guide course and project design: developing an expanding knowledge base, communicating effectively, creating and making healthy life choices, participating as an engaged global citizen, and providing leadership for justice.

A series of interdisciplinary projects are organized into trimesters. All students engage in maker and art experiences. Students track their progress as an individual learning plan. They petition to graduate when they’re ready to demonstrate proficiency in each of the five expectations.

Eagle Rock students live in six student houses. They meet weekly with their advisor to discuss a mix of personal and academic topics. In a residential facility, there is a lot of shoulder-to-shoulder advising.

Students have a voice at Eagle Rock–both in their course of study and in how the place is run. They sit in on staff meetings and disciplinary actions, they help to hire staff and teach classes.

Dan Condon came to Eagle Rock as an intern in 1995. He returned in 2002 leading a fellowship program. Today, Condon leads the professional development center which provides pro bono experiences based on the Eagle Rock model. They serve as school change consultants to clients coast to coast using a mixture of improvement science and design thinking.

Key Takeaways:
[:56] How did a kid from Wisconsin arrive in Estes Park, Colorado?
[2:07] Dan speaks about his career journey after he first arrived at Eagle Rock School.
[3:03] Dan speaks about what the learner experience is like at Eagle Rock.
[6:02] Dan describes the academic program at Eagle Rock.
[6:36] Dan talks about the advisory program at Eagle Rock.
[7:33] Dan speaks about the unique experience new students do in the first trimester once they arrive at Eagle Rock.
[8:27] Dan’s experience working with kids who are not experienced campers and what he thinks they gain from such an experience.
[8:52] About the opportunities for expression in the arts at Eagle Rock and why it is so important.
[9:27] How and when do students graduate from Eagle Rock?
[10:15] How is the school program is organized? And how long do the students attend?
[10:21] Dan speaks about the various courses that are offered at the school and how the curriculum is organized.
[11:06] How much voice and choice do students get at Eagle Rock in terms of what they can study?
[12:11] Dan speaks about the professional learning practice that he runs.
[13:45] Do they work with any big, traditional public schools that are trying to embrace some of their practices?
[14:36] Is Dan encouraged by what he sees happening with American education? And is he seeing more educators and schools adopting some of the practices that they’ve honed here at Eagle Rock?
[16:01] How is Eagle Rock paving the way for learner-centered environments… and why you should come down to visit the school for yourself!
[17:47] Tom and Jessica wrap up this week’s episode!

Mentioned in This Episode:
Eagle Rock School
Dan Condon
Public Allies
All Who Dare (Documentary, 2018)
Big Picture Learning