Apr 15, 2025
Students from around Jefferson County spent a week living with Colorado Farm Bureau families on their farms and ranches, experiencing hands-on learning through agricultural training.
The Colorado Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee, in partnership with Bear Creek High School, successfully hosted another year of the Senior Field Studies Program from April 8-15, 2025. Students from around Jefferson County spent a week living with Colorado Farm Bureau families on their farms and ranches, experiencing hands-on learning through agricultural training.
This year, 28 students participated in the Senior Field Studies program, a semester-long course where students gain class credit towards graduation while participating in immersive experiences in urban, rural, and wilderness settings. This includes not only the farm/ranch live-in, but also a whitewater expedition, local community service, and urban exploration.
Host families are Colorado Farm Bureau members who volunteer to share their lives with students for the week. This can include teaching students to ride horses, how to feed livestock, building fences, and general farm maintenance. Students also participate in other aspects of the families’ daily lives, such as attending church, eating meals together, and game nights.
Colorado Farm Bureau has been a partner of Senior Field Studies since its beginning at Bear Creek High School in 1975. The program was created by Mark Leachman at a time when experiential education was on the rise. Leachman ran the program for 34 years, retiring in 2012 and passing the program off to Steve Porentas, who currently manages the program. Each student pays a fee to participate in Senior Field Studies, and Bear Creek is the only high school in the state with a program like this.