Aspen High School’s most anticipated week of the year, Ex-Ed, is approaching August 26-30, 2024, bringing new opportunities along with it.
The Experiential Education program at Aspen High School was created to provide an educational opportunity outside the classroom. Ex-Ed has the added benefit of uniting students and teachers so they can bond in different ways outside the classroom. Students and teachers go on their Ex-Ed adventures at the beginning of every school year. Over the years, there have been many different course selections. Some of the longest-running trips are San Diego Surfing & Sailing and Cataract Canyon Rafting. For the 2024-2025 school year, there are five new Ex-Ed trip options: Anderson Ranch Photography, led by Josh Berro; Gunnison Mountain Biking, led by Scott Zevin and Josh Anderson; Ouray Via Ferrata, Hiking and Hot Springs, led by Chris Kilgore; Paonia Harvesting led by Diane Godfrey and Karen Hawkes; and Stillwater Canyon Canoeing led by Dan Perl.
Every trip is unique in its own way. Even though there have been other similar canoe trips in the past, Stillwater Canyon Canoeing has its own quirks. Dan Perl has been a trip leader for over 20 years. Perl is also the head of the Ex-Ed committee at AHS. This year, Dan Perl is leading the Stillwater Canyon Canoeing trip.
“We’re going to be canoeing for five days on the Green River and Canyonlands National Park,” Perl said. “Upstream, we ride on a jet boat back up to Moab, which is pretty unique.”
For the last five years, Perl led Ruby Horsethief, a no-longer-running trip.
I wanted to change up the course I was running and do a canoe trip,” Perl said. “I used to do a lot of canoeing as a kid.”
Paonia Harvesting, another one of the new trips at Aspen High School, explores the joys of living, working, and eating on a farm in the North Fork Valley. On the trip, students will explore apple and vegetable farms, go goat cheese making, egg gathering, and other cooking and baking activities. Paonia harvesting is a camping trip where students will hike and swim. Sophomore Ruby Nevins will go on the Paonia harvesting trip in the fall.
“You get to play with farm animals like goats and sheep,” Nevins said. “I think that it’s just gonna be enlightening.”
For more information on the other new courses, visit the Ex-Ed website.
