SEELEY LAKE - Seeley-Swan High School graduate Locke Hassett is looking forward to returning to his hometown as he takes on his new position as Seeley Lake Elementary School Outdoor Program leader. He previously worked for the Outdoor Program in 2017.
“I’m really just looking forward to seeing how much it’s grown,” he said. “When I worked there a couple years ago, back in 2017, we had maybe 10 kids max. And after speaking with [Program Director] Bridget Laird, she said that it’s grown quite a bit. So it’s just going to be really interesting to see what that’s like.”
Hassett said he does not have any plans at the moment to make any significant changes from previous iterations of the program. This year he would rather get a feel for how it has been running recently.
“From what I’ve heard it sounds very, very healthy and sounds like it’s thriving,” he said. “So if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
His overall goal for the program is to provide a safe and organized way for local children to enjoy the summer outside.
“If on top of that, they end up learning some environmental education, then that’s just a bonus,” he said. “But really it’s like, ‘Hey, let’s go enjoy this amazing place and spend time in the woods.’”
He is mostly looking forward to water-based activities such as paddle boarding and canoeing. He is also looking forward to hiking around the various lakes in the area. He believes there may be less mountain biking this year because of issues with getting enough proper gear.
“I think one of my favorite days a couple years ago was our hike to Glacier Lake,” he said. “It’s one of my favorite places in the valley. So getting to see kids do that is pretty cool.”
Hassett appreciates what this program means for local children.
“If something like this would have existed when I was a kid, it would have been absolutely fantastic,” he said. “And just seeing this happen and catch on and grow has been really cool.”
Hassett graduated from Seeley-Swan High School in 2011. He has worked as an outdoor educator for around nine years. His most recent position was with Northpoint Expeditionary Learning Academy in Prescott, Arizona as a middle school teacher.
He also worked for Missoula Outdoor Recreation and Education as well as Shaffer’s High Sierra Camp in Sattley, California. He graduated from Prescott College in 2019 with a Bachelor’s degree in environmental education.
The Outdoor Adventure Club program is free and available to third through eighth graders. It will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesdays through Thursdays, June 22 through Aug. 19. All activities begin and end at SLE.
In addition to the Adventure Club, the 21st Century Community Learning Center is offering:
• Art Camp for second through eighth graders June 28, June 30, July 12, July 14 and July 26 from 12:30 - 3 p.m.
• Reading & Math Enhancement for students from first grade through eighth grade on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m., July 19 - Aug. 11.
• Music Lessons for students in grades five through eighth Tuesdays and Thursdays from July 6 - Aug. 3 from 6 - 7:30 p.m. No class July 8 or Aug. 3. Separate registration required.
• Beach Bums family engagement activity for all SLE children and their parents and guardians. Dates and times to be announced.
Parents and guardians interested in having their children participate in the program should fill out the registration form at https://www.seeleylake.com/home/customer_files/article_documents/sle21cclc.pdf. They should then submit it by emailing it to Laird at blairdsle@sleonline.org, returning it to the SLE main office or by mailing it to Seeley Lake Elementary P.O. Box 840 Seeley Lake, MT 59868, before the June 9 deadline. Updates will be posted on https://www.sleonline.org and the school’s Facebook page.
Those with questions can contact Laird at 406-210-0012 or the SLE office at 406-677-2265.
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