TC class first of its kind in state

Trout Creek School has become the first in the state to include Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks' (MFWP) Hunter Safety and Hunter Education courses in their curriculum. During the year, students will meet for an hour once a week and will by the end of it become certified in both Hunter Education and Bow Hunter Education. The instruction they will get, according to Trout Creek School Superintendent Preston Wenz, will be far more in depth than a regular hunter education program. They will also get the tests and the field days required for both certifications, as well as be able to learn from "a conglomeration of people" with years of experience and expertise in the outdoors, Wenz said.

The hunter education lessons are taught through the school's life skills curriculum, which has no strict set curriculum to follow. "This isn't just about teaching them to hunt and kill," said Wenz. He explained that most of his students will at some point encounter hunting and firearms in their life, especially if they continue to live in Montana. "I want these kids learning life lessons and meaningful skills." Skills which Wenz says the students can carry throughout their lives. He said tests and math lessons are good, but there is more to life that they will need to know. "We're a little out of the box here, and that's the way I like it," he added.

Wenz brought the idea with him from past schools and has tried to implement the program before, but it has been too much work taking on such a program by himself while being a superintendent. Dillon Tabish with FWP said that Trout Creek is the only school in the state with the hunter education curriculum, though other communities have shown interest.

When Wenz brought the idea forward during a school staff meeting at Trout Creek, seventh- and eighth-grade teacher Jo Hanson decided to run with it. She has a guiding background, with a lot of experience hunting and being in the outdoors. Hanson now teaches 11 students ages 12-13 in grades seven and eight in her new hunter education class.

"Jo Hanson is the perfect teacher as a sportsman with that natural background," said Tabish. "We're excited we've found a teacher and administrator that has embraced the model. Hopefully this pilot program can interest other schools."

Along with lessons in many aspects of hunting, Hanson explained to her students that they will learn safety, responsibility and involvement that they can apply to the rest of their lives. She also explained that safety is number one. "We live in rural Montana. You guys are going to come in contact with firearms. You need to know how to stay safe," Hanson said during the introduction of the first class session.

Her students will tackle a program that Hanson explained is cross curriculum. They will get lessons in American Indian Education for All, history and even math. Hanson said her students will be required to use skills they already have from their other classes. "This isn't just straight up hunter's ed," she said.

"It also teaches a lot of responsibility," Hanson added. "This is an age where they need to learn about the repercussions of their actions. We're not just teaching hunter's ed, we're teaching everything around it. It lets them see that there are other opportunities in life other than academics." According to Wenz, the program will also teach students to "respect the game, respect the hunt and do it ethically."

Some of Wenz's hopes for the class include bringing in game and teaching the students how to clean it, firearm and bow practice, and maybe even something that will lead to a competitive archery team. Currently, the program includes lessons relating to Native American history, firearm use and safety, ecology, natural science, alternative careers, hunting ethics, survival and navigation, among other topics."It just seemed natural here," Wenz said of why the program caught on in Trout Creek.

"The education the students will get from the program is relevant even if they don't plan on hunting," said Tabish. "It's always good to learn about firearm safety, wildlife and the outdoors." He added that it's hard to fit that into a one- or two-week class, the length of normal hunter education programs.