By Spencer Williams To watch a video of the outdoor program highlights click Here This year the outdoor class did Three big projects that I see as highlights of the year. We built a yurt, went on an overnight, and we did a maple sugaring unit. Building the yurt was a big accomplishment....
By Hunter LeFevre For my capstone project I made a sign to recognize everyone who helped build the yurt. The sign is two feet by two feet and made out of cedar wood. It was routed on a CNC router, then it was stained, painted and sanded. I really like how...
By Alex Emerson I got the idea to build a woodshed for the yurt when I was piling wood onto the cold wet ground last fall. I thought it would be great to actually have something to store and keep the wood dry at our new outdoor classroom. I knew that...
By Joseph Dunn Next year the Thetford Outdoor Program is going to be building a sugarshack. For my capstone project I have built a model of this building. I first started by drawing the design on graph paper. I used a one inch equals one foot scale. I used building plans...
By, Tim Gray Thetford Academy has a new and improved trail map. The map includes a new trail that will be made this summer and it is posted on the trail junctions and trailheads. The physical maps that I have remade are more permanent than the last signs that were temporarily...
Thetford Academy students wanted to see if an Igloo or a quinzee makes a better snow shelter. Better was defined as which snow shelter would last longer and hold the most heat. An Igloo is a snow shelter that is made with snow blocks. A quinzee is a big pile...
All of the students in the Thetford Outdoor Program love maple syrup, with the exception of one newcomer to Vermont. So educator Scott Ellis made sure an exploration of all things maple would be part of the curriculum. "If students are interested in something, harness that," said Ellis, 38. "That's what...
On Friday December 1st the Valley News visited the Thetford Outdoor Program and wrote this amazing article. Full Article In the more than 500 acres contained on the campus of Thetford Academy and Thetford Hill State Park, Scott Ellis finds endless potential for learning. Standing within a grove of 70-year-old red...
The Environmental Studies and Outdoor Education course created a giant model of a tree. Then they made a video explaining each part of the model....
New Hampshire PBS's new episode of Windows to the Wild features outdoor adventurist (and Thetford Outdoor Program Coordinator) Scott Ellis and his family, as they join host Willem Lange for a night of camping and exploring in Maine's north woods. Check it out here....