A trail planned along the perimeter of the Clear Creek High/Middle School property is more than a trail — it’s a partnership.
Stakeholders from the Mountain Youth Network, Clear Creek County and the Clear Creek School District including the high school’s Eco Schools club have walked the property to discuss a 1-mile hiking and biking trail with its main goal to get children outside.
Once built later this year, the trail will give Clear Creek High/Middle School students a place to go outdoors during and before/after the school day, according to Ben Shay, youth programs coordinator for MYN’s outdoor leadership program.
“(The trail will) give them a resource to use outside of a textbook,” Shay said. “They want to have other resources than staring at the screen to help inspire creative, active learning.”
Mountain Youth Network is a community-based coalition created to implement the Communities that Care program, which promotes healthy youth development, especially by connecting to the environment. The TREK Teen Council, which meets in the former middle school, advises MYN on programs.
James Kovaly, the county’s trail supervisor, and Clear Creek Open Space are on board with creating the trail, and the school district sees many advantages to it — a place for science and physical education classes, plus a social/emotional component.
Organizers have enlisted the help of area businesses as plans for the trail progress.
Clear Creek High School senior Chloe Alspaugh, a student leader in TREK, said the connections among the community, school, parents and students are inspirational.
“Hopefully besides getting kids involved in creating it, the trail will give students another place to get outside,” Alspaugh said. “We have a beautiful campus, but you don’t get to walk around it very often. Having a trail that can be used all the time will get students out more.”
The idea for the trail came when Superintendent Karen Quanbeck and MYN coordinator Laura Robertson were brainstorming how the two organizations can work together — something that happens regularly — and the idea for the trail was born.
Quanbeck envisions the trail as a place for science classes to learn about native plants, climate, land changes and more. Plus she sees the trail as a place for a reflection with a mindfulness component, and both learning and counseling stations are in the works.
Robertson hopes to get community support and a grant to pay to build the trail, and she wants to hire students to do the work.
“What MYN is all about is creating meaningful opportunities for youth,” Robertson said, “so they try things, and are a part of community improvements and activities. Being able to pay (the student workers) would be awesome.”
Shay said getting students outside on school grounds can motivate them to get involved in the county’s outdoor recreation and can lead to career paths.
A big motivation for creating the trail was to provide equitable access to all students, Robertson said.
“If you can be at school, you have this option of this wonderful, beautiful trail, even at the end of the day,” Robertson said. “Students can participate without the need for transportation. The point is all students have access to it. This, I think, will be a good way to inspire kids to take advantage of outdoor hiking and enjoying trails in the community.”