Eagle Rock School Recognized for Innovative Approach

Eagle Rock School’s innovative approach to helping at-risk students take control of their lives and thrive was highlighted recently in two education-focused publications.

The Estes Park, Colo., school, which was founded by and is solely funded by Honda, is a year-round, tuition-free residential high school that offers a second chance to students who have not been able to succeed in a traditional high-school setting.

Getting Smart’s list of 66 Schools Worth Visiting includes a  range of schools that “achieve extraordinary results for underserved communities, create powerful learning experiences, and/or are innovative blended and competency-based models.” 

Getting Smart categorizes Eagle Rock School and Professional Development Center as an alternative high school and professional development center for educators, and “a very cool place to visit.” 
Meantime, an article in the latest issue of Democracy & Education Journal  identifies Eagle Rock as one of three schools that supports mindfulness in teaching and the principles set out by the Coalition of Essential Schools.
 The article notes that the principles are reflected in Eagle Rock’s Ten Commitments. It also highlights some of Eagle Rock’s teaching programs, including an outdoor rock-climbing and learning exercise.

Programs like Colorado Rocks at Eagle Rock enable students to see “universal connections among their own experiences, the physical world, and the academic curriculum,” the article says.

Established in 1991 as part of Honda’s commitment to corporate social responsibility, Eagle Rock is located on a 640-acre mountainside campus in Estes Park, Colo. The companion Eagle Rock Professional Development Center works with high school educators and administrators around the country to help them create engaging educational experiences in their own schools. In 1989, Honda sought to find opportunities to further its long-term commitment to youth and education. Through careful research, a vision was formed for a school that would support the lives of young people by promoting community, integrity and citizenship. With the creation of the American Honda Education Corporation in February 1991, Eagle Rock School was born. The first group of students arrived in September 1993.