Trails Outdoor School, Ashland Connect presenters highlight hands‑on learning and student re‑engagement

Presenters from Trails Outdoor School and the Ashland Connect program presented to the board on March 13, describing outdoor education, project‑based learning and a hybrid online option that district leaders and families said has re‑engaged students.

Family testimony: a grandmother of an Ashland Connect student described how the program re‑engaged her grandson after he disengaged following COVID‑era schooling and bereavement; she said support from staff and small class sizes enabled him to return to regular attendance and classroom participation. A family video highlighted the program’s flexible hybrid model where students attend some in‑person sessions and complete other work at home with teacher support.

Program highlights: Trails co‑founder Marcy Oslowski and students described experiential education across grade levels: kindergarteners learning outdoor preparedness, middle‑schoolers designing trebuchets and eighth‑grade capstones including internships and community projects. Trails staff detailed recent grants and community partnerships that funded on‑site equipment (water filter, freeze dryer, outdoor learning space improvements) and extracurricular activities such as Girls Who Code and robotics. Staff noted outdoor trips (including winter skills overnight and a five‑day rites‑of‑passage eighth‑grade trip) as core program elements.

Why it matters: board members praised the programs for individualized instruction, enrichment and re‑engagement. Presenters asked the board and community to continue support and to attend upcoming Trails events and the district’s annual bike ride to Medford.

Ending: staff thanked families and the Ashland Schools Foundation for grant support and noted the programs’ role in building resilience, academic connections and community partnerships.