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The mission of Valley Branch ELC is to provide a meaningful outdoor
learning experience which promotes life-long awareness toward the care
and respect of our world.
Students from St. Paul Public Schools typically participate
in classes at the Valley Branch ELC twice, once in 3rd grade and once
in 5th grade. Teachers, however, are invited to apply for
additional visits during our open dates. The classes offered
depend on the season of their visit, but during every visit we strive
to make connections with classroom learning by addressing grade specific
standards.
Valley Branch ELC (known formerly as Belwin Outdoor Education Lab) was
established by a cooperative agreement between Belwin and the St. Paul
Public Schools in 1971. The agreement calls for Belwin to provide
facilities on th 225 acres that are dedicated to this program and the
maintenance of those facilities. At the same time, the St. Paul
Public Schools provide the education staff and transportation for the
students to the facility. Other districts may participate in the
program when invited by the St. Paul Public School District. The
facilities are made up of a 5,000 square foot main classroom building,
an additional classroom that serves as the hub for our special
education programs, 8 miles of trails through a terrain of a prairie,
oak savannas, pine forests, oak forests, ponds, a marsh, and a
stream. Approximately 2 miles of this is hard surfaced
specifically to allow ease of access by wheelchairs. Since 1971,
approximately 10,000 students per year visit Valley Branch ELC.
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