Small town, wide world: Expeditions drive learning at Silverton Public School
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SILVERTON, Colo. — “Clap three times if you can hear me,” said Natalie Platt to a classroom of middle school students.
The group of sixth through eighth graders clapped and quieted down. A student stood up to present a community issue he cared about: the lack of exposure to diversity in Silverton.
“It’s a small town, you see that one guy every day,” he said, proposing that children be introduced to more diverse communities.
Silverton Public School in San Juan County is one of the smallest, most rural districts in Colorado. The K-12 school has just 72 students and 25 staff members, including 16 certified teachers.
The school opened in 1911. After local mines closed in the early 1990s, Silverton’s population declined, and so did school enrollment. In 2002, the community reformed the school by adopting the Expeditionary Learning (EL) Education model.
EL Education combines traditional classroom learning with real-world experiences. Students engage in fieldwork, collaborate with local experts, and participate in service projects tied to academic standards.
Sixth through eighth grade students studying colonialism examined its impact through the lens of Rwanda. In Platt’s humanities class, students learned about African activists and are now applying those lessons to identify and advocate for change in their own community.
The class was also preparing for an eight-day trip to Chicago, where students will visit museums as part of their African studies and conduct cloud observations for science class. Four adults will accompany the trip.
“One of the reasons that we're able to do all of that is because we have really good support from our community, and we do a lot of fundraising to support them so that we can charge families an affordable rate,” said Carl Schnitker, who teaches science, math, physical education and outdoor pursuits for grades six through eight.
Silverton students typically take two overnight trips each year — one in the fall and one in the spring — as well as frequent day trips in and around town.
“Fieldwork is not something we see as an add-on. We see that as the core of what makes an expedition compelling,” Schnitker said.
Last year, students traveled to rural Louisiana for a Civil War reenactment as part of their American history studies.
“They're not just walking by and looking,” Schnitker said. “Fieldwork ideally has a component of students doing something, engaging with the place they're going to, the experts that they're meeting. They're writing notes or doing a project.”
Fieldwork is also a favorite part of school for many students.
“First of all, it’s overnight,” one student said. “And it’s important to take us kids to experience, not just hear about, that experience.”
In a small and isolated town like Silverton, students don’t have easy access to museums, cultural events or other learning opportunities common in bigger cities. Expeditions provide that access.
Due to the school’s size, some classes combine grade levels. For example, students in grades six through eight share humanities and science classes. Subjects like Math and reading are divided by skill level rather than grade.
Platt, who teaches math, humanities, Spanish and current events, said she sees the benefits of mixed-grade classrooms.
“They set the example, and the younger ones look up to them,” she said of the older students. “It motivates everyone to work harder.”
Because the school doesn’t follow a textbook-driven model, teachers invest more time designing an original curriculum.
“Yes, I would say it is so much more work, but I think it's a huge payoff not only for the students but for the teacher,” Platt said. “As I design things, I feel like I have so much more ownership over it. I'm more excited to be in the classroom every day and teach what I have to teach. I don't think I could feel that way about a textbook that someone else wrote.”
Sallie Barney, the elementary lead teacher and parent of two students at the school, values the school’s unique approach. Her children are in fifth and seventh grade.
“I think if I had big dreams of our children being concert pianists or World Cup soccer players, then this is obviously not a very good choice,” Barney said. “But I think because our dreams for our kids are that they grow up being grounded in themselves and self-assured and developing healthy relationships. So our values align with the education that they receive here.”
Barney acknowledges the small school model isn’t for everyone, but she appreciates the deep relationships and sense of support it provides.
“In a way, it sort of releases a little bit of pressure as a parent,” she said. “I don’t feel like I am responsible for every element of their education. They have these really incredible teachers who they also build strong relationships with. And if they have a question they don’t want to ask me, I just know there are so many other people in their lives that can be trusted connections.”
At the end of Platt’s class, students chatted excitedly about throwing a party on the train ride to Chicago.
“They live in this town with people that have known them since they were born, and they get to go out and meet different professionals and learn that different jobs exist, beyond being a waiter or waitress or a teacher or someone who works at the town,” Schnitker said.
“We want them to have a sense of the big world.”
Type of story: News
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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