UNIQUE PROGRAMS FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS
The Battle Creek Public Schools own and operate the Outdoor Education Center, a complete year-round outdoor education facility on a 176 acre site located on M-37 Highway, 13 miles north of the city in the midst of a rural agricultural community in Barry County. Each year approximately 3,000 elementary students in the school district participate in some kind of educational experience at the Center which is recognized nationally as a leader in providing model programs for students in an outdoor setting.
The Center provides five major programs: the Farm Animal Program for first grade students which occurs in the spring; the Pioneer Cabin Program for third grade students which occurs in the fall; the Farm Garden Program for third grade students begins in the spring, operates in concert with summer school, and continues in the fall; it concludes with the residential School Camp Program for fifth grade students which occurs in the winter; and finally the residential Adventure Camp Program for sixth grade students occurs in the fall. A new program entering its fourth year of operation is for graduating or rising seniors from Battle Creek Central High School and involves training and employment as counselors in the summer component of the Farm Garden/Summer School collaboration.
