ALASKA—Thousands of Southeast Alaska youngsters learn and grow outdoors thanks to a remarkable partnership between Discovery Southeast and the agency’s Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area in Juneau. 

The Partnership

The nonprofit offers nature and science programs to enrich local children’s education. It has been doing so since 1989, primarily through classroom programs and field trips, day camps and after-school programs. The Forest Service’s collaboration with Discovery Southeast spans two decades. It began offering outdoor classes for teachers, then joined forces on summer camps, and now more broadly through the partnership. 

That partnership includes running the Visitor Center bookstore and gift shop to supply educational and convenience items to the public. This collaboration helps the public connect with and explore the Mendenhall area. 

The Accomplishments

After extremely challenging COVID years, the two partners again see robust youth participation and increased visitations to the glacier. A list of noted results certainly highlights 2022’s accomplishments:  

• Sales Proceeds: The organization contributed about $30,000 to the recreation area’s interpretive programs. Additionally, center visitors donated more than $10,000. Officials will use the funds to buy educational materials for ranger programs and pay for buses to transport participants to and from the glacier. 
• Nature Studies: Organizers offer nature and science classroom programs and field trips in every K-5 classroom. In the past, the activities only included third to fifth grade students at a handful of schools. Today, each class has nine engagements during the school year. The program served about 2,000 students in 2022. Plus, an expansion of eligible age groups resulted in another three hundred students taking part. 
• Summer Camps: Last year’s program hosted 25 summer camps, each with 12 spots, catering to a total of 300 campers for the summer. These are pay-as-you-can camping excursions, so there is no financial barrier. A school-year day camp held during the school holidays hosted 200 students, while an after-school program welcomed 75.

“The strength of these programs is a direct result of the partnership,” said Discovery Southeast Executive Director Shawn Eisele. “And more meaningful than numbers are the individual experiences of the children.”

The Future

While last year’s efforts achieved impressive things, the immediate and long-term future looks even brighter. In the short term, the nonprofit is looking forward to a full, busy 2023 summer of visitors at the glacier. It also has a full slate of summer camps. 

In both of those arenas, the partners see remarkable results everyday: an engaged community, visitors experiencing something wild and new, and children developing newfound comfort and curiosity about nature. 

Looking further down the road, the partnership will continue to expand educational opportunities for local kids, all while supporting the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area as it evolves."