PAGE, Ariz. – The Glen Canyon Outdoor Academy (GCOA) began its second year of operation by adding 72 more students than it had last year, nearly doubling enrollment.

Raini Goatson, GCOA’s superintendent, was very happy with the news.

“Put simply, we are beyond excited!” she said. “Our teachers and paras work incredibly hard to facilitate meaningful experiences day in and day out. We recognize the trust the community has placed in us as a brand-new school, and we want their trust to be honored.”

Last year – in its inaugural year of operation – 90 students were enrolled at GCOA. This year that number jumped to 162. In addition to adding 72 students, GCOA has also added three more classrooms and an additional specials class, and has hired four new teachers for the extra classes. 

Last year, GCOA offered classes for grades one through six. This year they have added two kindergarten classes and a seventh-grade class. The school will add eighth-grade classes next year. GCOA’s specials classes include art, garden and greenhouse, and frisbee golf.

One of the main thing that sets GCOA apart from other schools is its expeditionary style of learning. With expedition learning, students spend a good portion of the day doing outdoor-based activities. At least every other day, classes leave the GCOA campus and walk to sections of the Rimview Trail, the Page Sports Complex or the area of desert between the GCOA campus and the Page Public Library.

“Part of what the kids are working on right now is building their stamina and learning what it means to be prepared for an outdoor excursion, such as wearing appropriate footwear and carrying their own water,” said Justine Carryer, GCOA’s curriculum director.

Another crucial item students carry with them during field excursions is a field notebook.

“A big part of what we’re trying to do with our kids is build their ability to be explorers,” Carryer said, “and part of that is observing and taking notes. Our outdoor excursions always include an element of independent alone time and the opportunity to sit quietly with nature, to observe and discover something new. That’s an important part of their time out and one of the best ways for a child to develop a connection to the natural world.”

The academy also does several larger field trips throughout the school year. Last year, GCOA visited Toadstools, Big Water Visitor Center, Lees Ferry and Cathedral Wash, Hanging Gardens, and the New Wave.

During the outdoor excursions and field trips, teachers incorporate lessons from the classroom. “When our classes were studying geology, it was great taking a trip to Lees Ferry and Cathedral Wash to see the different layers of geology in real life,” Carryer said. “It really made the geology lessons a lot more relevant.”

For a lot of parents, that is what they like most about having their kids attend the outdoor academy.

“Parents have shared with me that they find the opportunity to engage their child in learning through active experiences rooted in our outdoor setting, providing authentic and culturally relevant learning opportunities, along with the sense of community for the reason they have their child attend GCOA,” said Goatson said.

Goatson believes the big jump in enrollment has come from satisfied parents telling other parents about the positive experiences their child is having at the outdoor academy.

The outdoor academy faced several obstacles during its first year in operation. Just weeks before the 2022-23 school year was to begin, the owners of the building GCOA intended to use revoked the lease agreement, leaving the new school scrambling to find space.

They started the school year with a split campus. Part of the campus was in the old Caveat Building on Poplar Street, while the rest of the campus was in the old Shepherd Preschool building. GCOA moved onto its permanent campus on Newburn Road over the Christmas break and finished out the school year there.

“It ended up working out great,” said Goatson said. 

The campus has plenty of classroom space, a very large outdoor play and recess area, and a large greenhouse. Gardening in the greenhouse is one of GCOA’s specials. All the students help with planting seeds, caring for them as they grow and harvesting the plants as they mature.

“The kids love the green house,” Carryer said.

“They get to learn what plants grow well together, what plants are good for food, and what plants have other uses. And they get to share a sample of the food that is grown. It’s also a great space to take a break from the classroom, to move their bodies and connect with gardening. It’s really helpful for self-regulation.”

Jim Walker served as GCOA’s superintendent last year and in the years leading up to the opening of the school, but he retired at the end of the 2022-23 school year.

Goatson was hired to be the school’s new superintendent. She taught first grade at GCOA last year, and prior to that she taught ELA and ELL at Page Middle School. 

“I loved working at the middle school and am so grateful for the growth I experienced as an educator while employed with PUSD,” Goatson said.