Work Program

Colorado Rocky Mountain School promotes a strong belief that working hard is an essential aspect of life and learning. The lessons of the work curriculum at CRMS are just as classical and vital as those of sports. The indispensable nature of our work crews can be seen throughout the campus. When CRMS was founded in 1953, the ranch buildings supplied the basic necessities of school life. The older students lived in tents; the classrooms in the Barn were dirt-floored. Working side by side, students and faculty converted chicken coops into houses and ranch buildings into classrooms and studios. Work crews helped construct many new buildings, including the dormitories, the Jewelry Hogan, the Adobe Art Studio, the Solar Dormitory, the Science Building interior, the Whitaker Building, the Greenhouse, and the Jossman Academic Building. Every building on the CRMS campus bears the mark of its creators and the sweat of many hands. Today, preparation for college continues to be informed by the virtues offered by the work curriculum. Furthermore, an honest accounting of our current situation on Earth forecasts a future in which today's students would be well prepared to gain many of the sustainable-living skills taught in the work curriculum.

Students choose a work-crew assignment for each of the four quarters of the school year, and they receive a written evaluation for their performance during the work-crew period. Students are expected to engage themselves fully in each project, which in turn yields a sense of pride in their accomplishments. Every student is expected to participate in work crews, as this is a graduation requirement. Work crews usually meet two afternoons per week. Students who do not participate on a competitive team are required to join a work crew. Because of the time commitment required, those participating in competitive sports such as soccer or skiing will not have a work crew during that quarter but are required to participate in a work crew at another time. Competitive teams will participate in a community-service project during their competitive season.

Bike Shop
This crew repairs and tunes bikes for members of the CRMS community in the bike shop on campus. The Bike Shop work crew teaches students about basic bicycle maintenance and repair. Additionally, the bike shop strives to promote bicycling as an efficient and healthy means of alternate transportation.

Blacksmithing
Students on this crew produce community projects such as bike racks, chandeliers, railings, coat racks, and table centerpieces. The students work in the on-campus forge with direct supervision by faculty.

Ceramics
Students in the pottery studio mix clay and glazes, load kilns, and develop a production line of plates, bowls, and mugs for the school dining room.

Community Outreach
This activity focuses on extending students’ awareness beyond the campus into the broader community. In the past, students have volunteered in the local nursing home and at the animal rescue shelter. Currently, the students tutor in the local public schools, both elementary and middle.

Garden
Students work in the school’s organic vegetable garden. They have the opportunity to learn all aspects of horticulture, from soil preparation to harvesting. The student-built geodesic-dome greenhouse, straw-bale building, and hoop greenhouse serve as the hub of the garden, and students maintain those spaces in working order. Food from our garden provides organic vegetables for our dining room.

Glassblowing
The purpose of this activity is to serve the school community through the creation of valuable pieces of blown glass. In order to accomplish this, students go through an extensive safety orientation and then spend a good deal of time developing the skills needed to work in this medium. Teamwork is a vital element in the actual making of pieces and in the sharing of knowledge. Students have made drinking glasses for the dining room as well as bowls and other items. Students also have a bit of time to make their own work.

Kitchen
Students are supervised by and work with the kitchen staff in areas of food preparation, pre-meal setup, and cleanup. As the kitchen relies on students for key support in preparing meals, responsibility and punctuality are important.

Library
This crew gives students the opportunity to assist in the library four hours a week during free periods. Students shelve books, sort periodicals, develop displays, and process new books, among other tasks.

Preschool
This crew gives students an opportunity to assist in the daily activities of children three to five years old who attend the Children’s Rocky Mountain Preschool that is located on campus. With the preschool teachers, students learn topics such as child development, teaching methods, learning theories, and problem solving.

Ranch
Students involved in this historic work crew are the labor force for the school’s ranch operation. Students build and repair fences and corrals, maintain the irrigation ditches, feed livestock, and do numerous odd jobs around the 300-plus-acre property. This crew may also landscape, paint buildings, perform small construction projects, and participate in larger projects currently underway on campus.

Trip Planning
This crew works with the Outdoor Program logistics coordinator two days a week to organize the food and equipment for Fall and Spring Trips.

Yearbook
Producing the yearbook takes a full academic year. Although students are not required to participate for the whole year, some consistency is required and encouraged. The Yearbook staff takes all of the photos for the book and contributes the cover, artwork, and layout.