Last month, C. Paul Johnson, Crow Canyon life trustee and chair emeritus, found himself surrounded by middle school students at the Goodman Point Unit of Hovenweep National Monument. The students were all part of a school group from the Blue Oak Middle School in Napa, California, excavating at the Unit as part of their first-ever Crow Canyon program. Paul had a special interest in the group: his son was one of the students. Paul tagged along with the group on their visit to the Goodman Point Unit and toured the Unit with Crow Canyon President and CEO Ricky Lightfoot.
"The trip was very special for the kids," Paul said. "Some of them had never been to Colorado. It was an extraordinary experience for them to come to Colorado and experience archaeology."
The Blue Oak Middle School’s journey to Crow Canyon was initiated last year when Ricky visited the school and talked with their staff. After the school decided to send a group to Crow Canyon, the trip had to be funded. "It came together quickly and went together fine," Paul said.
The Blue Oak School is a private, not-for-profit, progressive school for students in grades K–8. According to school staff, students at Blue Oak are encouraged to examine their interests, expand their understanding, and engage their imaginations. Their background in “learning by doing” made them perfect candidates for the Crow Canyon program, during which they learned about Pueblo Indian history, excavated at the Goodman Point Unit, and studied artifacts in the lab.
The Blue Oak School staff plans to continue bringing school groups to Crow Canyon in the future. "Extraordinary is a good word for their experience," Paul said. "I knew it would be good, but it was better than I could have imagined. Everyone was very excited."
Photo (left): Ben Bellorado, Crow Canyon's laboratory program coordinator, teaches Blue Oak Middle School students how to identify artifacts.
