For nine years, One Stone lab school has made outdoor, experiential learning a cornerstone of our student experience. This spring, we are excited to introduce Summit, our new outdoor leadership program, with an exciting inaugural project: the Big Creek Expedition.

The Big Creek Expedition is a 7-day backpacking adventure that will take 13 students deep into the heart of the Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness. This once-in-a-lifetime experience includes two bush plane flights, over 30 miles of backpacking, and three nights at the University of Idaho’s Taylor Wilderness Research Station. Students will prepare for the trip through a Community Read focused on wilderness, leadership, grit, and collaboration. They’ll also explore the written and oral histories of the people who have lived in the Big Creek area for generations, from time immemorial to the present day.

In addition to the Big Creek Expedition, One Stone is offering three additional outdoor trips to students at no cost this spring. Our graduating class will balance adventure and reflection on a three-day trip to Garden Valley, which includes opportunities to take on a ropes course and zipline, soak in natural hot springs, and hike steep trails to beautiful views. For all other students, outdoor trips are integrated into place-based and student-driven learning experiences focused on the Snake River Plain. Students will either head to City of Rocks or Three Island Crossing, and have opportunities to take on new outdoor challenges like climbing and rafting, as well as to immerse themselves in a relevant topic of interest, such as botany, geology, or cultural history.

Alongside their academic preparation, students are preparing by developing valuable outdoor skills like navigation, physical training, and teamwork. They are also fundraising to make all facets of the trip possible. Thanks to a generous grant from the Selway Bitterroot–Frank Church Foundation, our students are off to a great start—but we still need your help to make spring trips the best they can be!

How You Can Help:

Your support will help fund the Big Creek Expedition and ensure that all One Stone students can participate in upcoming spring outdoor trips.

$15 - covers one student's visit to Miracle Hot Springs
$25 - a day of rock climbing for one student
$50 - rafting the Snake River for one student
$75 - covers one student’s participation in spring trips
$200 - purchases a durable tent or backpack for future use
$360 - fully covers one student’s experience on the Big Creek Expedition
$500 - feeds the entire Big Creek group for the week
$1,000 - funds three students' experience on the Big Creek Expedition

While monetary donations are incredibly impactful, we are also seeking gently used outdoor gear, such as backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, and sleeping pads. If you have equipment to donate, please contact Allison at allisonf@onestone.org.

One Stone Mini Solo Stove