TEA ADVENTURES
Middle School Student Crew Trip to Henry Coe State Park
The original plan for this trip was to hike into Desolation Wilderness, just to the west of Lake Tahoe. Then the wildfires changed those plans. We quickly pivoted to a new location, Henry Coe State Park near San Jose, California. After conducting background research and calling the park’s rangers to confirm what we learned, several backpacking routes and campsites were established. In addition, we were able to organize over 20 parent drivers to help us transport 75 students and 8 guides to the trailhead, which was about a 4 hour drive from our campus in Truckee, CA.
Learning in the Outdoors (But Not Necessarily About the Outdoors)
Sometimes TEA is described as an “outdoor education school.” Perhaps you’ve described it this way yourself. It’s easy enough to do as the stories we often share are those from outdoor adventures where our students rappelled down slot canyons or paddled down large stretches of water in an effort to learn more about uranium mining or immigration. The visuals tell a story of an outdoor education program, but the experiences in themselves include rigorous academic inquiry across all national standards (reading, writing, math, science, social studies) as students build background knowledge to prepare for these experiences.
2021 Commencement Ceremony Video and Photo Gallery
Thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s Commencement Ceremony so memorable! It’s with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to the class of 2021. Without a doubt one of the most unforgettable years ever.
2021 Senior Passage Presentations
As part of TEA’s graduation requirements, seniors complete a passage presentation where they are tasked with proving to the panelists and TEA Community that they have mastered TEA’s learner outcomes and are ready to embark on the next chapter of their journey. We are proud to share the Senior Class of 2021 Passage Presentations with you.
2021 8th-Grade Passage Presentations
Passages provide students with an opportunity to reflect on their growth as learners and people as they transition from one phase of school to the next. In accordance with COVID-19 policies at the time, our 2021 8th-Grade Passage Presentations were presented via student produced videos. We proudly share them here with you.
2021 Millennium Scholarship Recipients
Please join us in congratulating TEA seniors Johan Sotelo and Brennan Berg! Both recipients have been awarded $5000 grants in order to offset costs associated with their future endeavors. Johan is off to Stanford University in the fall and Brennan is heading to the University of California, Davis where he will study Aerospace Engineering. We are exceptionally proud of their accomplishments and contributions while at TEA and we are excited to support their next adventure.
Welcoming Our New Head of School, David Maher
David was chosen from a national pool of impressive candidates after a very thorough and inclusive search process. This unanimous appointment was the result of united and enthusiastic support from the Head of School Search Committee, Board of Directors, the School Leadership and the broader TEA community.
Celebrating 10 Years of TEA
This spring we celebrated our 10th Birthday, having started the planning and recruiting for the school in the spring of 2011. We were so lucky to have a video message from TEA’s Co-Founders, Margo Redfern, D Larrabee, Gina Barth and Taylor Simmers, another collaborative musical performance thanks to TEA Parent Dave Zimmerman, as well as an awesome 10 year recap of the experience from our very own Beck Marshall.
Class of 2021 College Acceptances
While we are celebrating acceptances to some of the world’s top colleges and universities, we are equally if not more appreciative that all of our students are off to colleges and universities that best meet their individual needs. In addition this graduating class has received over $1.46M in scholarships over 4 years!
Solargrams of the Sierras
Anna Atkins was an English botanist and photographer. She is often considered the first person to publish a book illustrated with photographic images. Some sources claim that she was the first woman to create a photograph. The Photography Intensive Students created this flora and fauna field guide inspired by the work of Anna Atkins. Students utilized a process known as “solargram” which closely replicates the cyanotype process.
2nd-Graders Harvest Water From Solar Stills
In our 2nd-Grade Wilderness Skills Guild, students will build essential skills and knowledge about the backcountry through exploring gear, orienteering, plant identification, awareness games and more.