Stay tuned for announcements about our enhanced 2025-2026 program as we continue to build partnerships and expand outdoor learning opportunities for our students.

Galena Outdoor Academy 2024-2025 Programs & Events

Thank you to our community partners for making these experiences possible as we develop our expanded 2025-2026 program offerings.

Fall 2024

October 17: Leadership & Team Building at Sky Tavern Students developed leadership skills through challenging outdoor activities in the forest environment, learning to collaborate effectively and apply insights to daily life.

November 21: Forest Stewardship at Spooner Summit In partnership with Nevada Division of Forestry 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM | Students explored sustainable forest management practices and conservation principles.

Winter 2025

January 23: Cultural Heritage & Desert Adventure Grimes Point Archeology Site & Sand Mountain exploration combining cultural learning with outdoor adventure skills.

February 20: Winter Sports & Safety at Sky Tavern Comprehensive winter outdoor education featuring skiing, snowboarding, avalanche science principles, and emergency beacon location techniques.

Spring 2025

April 17: Aquatic Ecosystems at Pyramid Lake Special Spawning Season Experience Students explore fishery science, sustainable fishing practices, and visit the cultural museum during this unique seasonal event.

Hunter Safety Certification Program Led by Nevada Department of Wildlife Completed during the week of April 14 - thank you to NVDOW for this essential outdoor skills training.

May 15: Truckee River Corridor Adventure Derby Dam to Truckee River mountain biking expedition combining physical activity with watershed education.

Overview of Outdoor Academic Success

Welcome to our collaborative project to leverage our privilege of living in one of the most beautiful and challenging places on the planet to learn to enhance the lives of our families, friends, and ourselves.

As pioneers in this mission, you are responsible to yourself and all future Grizzlies following in your footsteps. We embark on this journey with shared ideas, principles, and visions, understanding that we will encounter obstacles, surprises, and challenges as we explore this new terrain.

Our program is structured around a daily 7th-period class focused on field trips and certifications related to outdoor experiences. These certifications will equip you with valuable skills and knowledge for your outdoor adventures. Our field trips allow us to apply what we have learned in real-world settings and further develop our outdoor expertise.

One task will be to help shape this syllabus, not only for yourself but for future classes of students who will thrive based, in part, on the paths you create. Your input and experiences will be invaluable in refining and improving our program, including the types of certifications we pursue and the nature of our field trips.

Group collaboration will be a key aspect of our adventure. To facilitate this, your teacher has prepared a survey to assess your strengths and areas for improvement. This will help us place you in diverse groups where you can grow and build your talents collectively. Please take the time to complete the survey here thoughtfully.

As we progress through the year, we will provide more details about the specific certifications we'll work towards and the destinations and activities planned for our quarterly field trips. Your input will be crucial in shaping these experiences to ensure they meet the needs and interests of our pioneering class.

Please complete this Microsoft Form to help us collaborate in small groups, each of which includes members with a variety of skills and interests. 

Things to Know

1. All phones must be placed in their assigned pockets before the bell rings. If you don't know your assigned pocket, please give it to your teacher for storage. Phones may not be used anywhere in the building and must remain in pockets during the entire class period. The only exception is that in an evacuation, you may remove your phone from the pocket on your way out the door. Phones appearing in the classroom during class time will be sent to the Den.
2. The more we get done in the classroom, the more time we can spend outside. Trust the process; the more efficient our learning in the classroom, the less time we need to spend here!
3. If you are done learning, spend time learning how to learn better. Did you know, "A surprising aspect of tests, specifically self-testing soon after exposure to new material, is that they can significantly improve your ability to learn, apply, and maintain new knowledge" (Huberman 2024). That means you should use 7th period to test yourself and each other on what we learned today! 

Check out the detailed advice on better studying here.