Kendall County Outdoor Education Center celebrating 50 years

Earth Day isn’t the only 50th anniversary being celebrated this year. Locally, the Kendall County Outdoor Education Center also is recognizing 50 years of serving schools from Kendall and DeKalb counties. If you have been on a field trip to the KCOEC, you are a part of county history.

The cooperative had its beginning in fall 1970 under the direction of Keith Tucker. At that time, the KCOEC was comprised of public schools from Plano, Yorkville, Oswego, Sandwich and Newark. The KCOEC was formed through the Kendall County Educational Service Region, of which Irving A. Shears was superintendent. The outdoor education program operated out of Silver Springs State Park, 2.5 miles south of Plano. During the first three years of operation, it served 14,191 students from cooperating school districts and more than 4,500 people through teachers, meetings, clubs and various organized activities. Tucker served as director from 1970 until his retirement in 1994.

Jeff Schafermeyer was hired to take on the role of director in 1994; he served until 2001. The program continued to focus on flora and fauna, but Schafermeyer added new programs, including living history, team-building, map and compass, and a unique leadership program for high school students, the Student Leadership Initiative Program.

In 2007, the KCOEC was forced to leave Silver Springs State Park and relocated at Hoover Forest Preserve, its current location.

Today, the cooperative includes Yorkville, Plano and Sandwich schools and serves more than 8,000 people each year through field trips, summer camps and classes, canoe trips and cooperative programs with other agencies, including the Kendall County Forest Preserve, Kendall County Ag in the Classroom, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and 4-H. The KCOEC has support from The Conservation Foundation for a canoe program to help people learn more about the Fox River and its ecosystem.

Deanna Bazan, who has served as the current director since 2001, notes that other schools visit the KCOEC for field trips as well. Teachers on staff at the KCOEC include Lynn Harrington, Keri Pesola, Sarah Berry and Marcia Hitchins, all of whom work with the many program participants on field trips. Those trips take place from the last week of August through the end of school in May.

“Lessons are all aligned with state standards for learning,” Bazan said. “Everything we teach is tied into what students are studying at school. Our mission is to provide a positive outdoor learning experience to enhance classroom learning. And we just love what we do here.”

For information, visit the KCOEC website at kcoutdoored.org.