Rock River students present Longhorn Loop, other place-based projects to board

Rock River Elementary students and staff presented the school’s multi-year place-based and project-based learning program to the Albany County School District #1 Board of Trustees, describing projects that tied classroom learning to local problems and community needs.

The presentation’s central example was the Longhorn Loop, a cross‑country trail the students designed to provide a safe practice route for the school’s cross‑country team and a community exercise space. “We needed space for mountain biking for PE, and we needed it for community needs so that they could have a place to exercise,” said Letty Bowers, a sixth‑grade student, describing how the team mapped the route and produced scale models and a 3‑D prototype that is now on display in the school library.

Board members and administrators said the projects illustrate the district’s strategic priorities. Superintendent Dr. Goldhart introduced the students and called forward the group. Trustee Nate Martin praised the program, saying it helped students “become community members who are willing and able to problem solve.” Trustee Carrie Murphy and other board members highlighted the Longhorn Loop’s immediate payoff: cross‑country teams are already using portions of the trail and the school plans a ribbon cutting in the fall after chip material is spread.

Students also described smaller projects that connected classwork to real‑world tasks: fourth graders built dioramas tied to a survival unit; other students researched Wyoming ghost towns and made travel brochures for national parks using Canva. Presenters said the work incorporated reading, math, science, writing, speaking, and social‑emotional learning.

Teachers and district staff said the projects arose from a multi‑year relationship with Teton Science School’s outreach program and later the district’s extension team. Rock River staff said the extension team helped bring together instructional components into a coherent place‑based approach. “Teton Science… brought the whole puzzle piece together,” a Rock River teacher said.

Superintendent Dr. Goldhart and board members encouraged the school’s continued leadership and said the district hopes other schools will visit Rock River as an example. Board members asked whether Rock River students could share the approach with other elementary schools; staff said recent efforts have already begun to connect elementary and high‑school advisory groups and that the district is partnering with the University of Wyoming on project‑based initiatives.

The presentation closed with trustees thanking the students for their work and congratulating them on their leadership in applying classroom skills to local needs.