EDUCATION AT IDAHO’S ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK
Canyon County Parks, Recreation and Waterways is dedicated to preserving the cultural and natural resources of our County as recreational and educational resources for our citizens and visitors. Our educational programs at Celebration Park, Idaho’s Archaeological Park, provide opportunities spanning kindergarten curricula through university post-graduate studies.
THE MISSION
The mission of the Celebration Park Programs is to inspire students to reach their highest academic potential through a broad array of relevant, experiential outdoor learning opportunities. Our programs promote lifelong learning by developing investigatory skills, encouraging discovery and challenging students to explore the landscape to understand the past, present and to prepare for the future.
THE SETTING
Celebration Park embraces 10,000 years of continuous human occupation replete with architecture before architects, and thousands of petroglyphs. The Euro-American history begins with the Astorians and runs the gamut of Army explorers following Lewis and Clark’s Journey, to Oregon Trail emigrants, steamship pilots, gold miners, industrial and railroad tycoons, ferry operators and world champion cowboys. Interpretive trails radiate across a thousand acres of desert and through the Snake River Canyon from the dormitories and labs of Canyon Crossroads Museum to disperse outdoor classrooms where faculty and instructors guide students through our geologic
and cultural past.
THE HISTORY
Celebration Park and the educational programs were established in 1989 by Canyon County Parks, Recreation and Waterways. Nearly 15,000 K-12 students participated in our School Field Trip Program in 2007. Our university programs have been successfully providing undergraduate and graduate course work, workshops and technical
instruction since 1997.
"For more than a decade it has been my pleasure to work extensively with the staff of Celebration Park. I have been enormously impressed by the uniqueness of the historic landscape and the innovative programs developed by the Park’s staff. I am convinced that there is no place in Idaho or in the West that has created and presented educational opportunities focused on linking people of the past and present to their environments more effectively than the people at Celebration Park. More importantly, they deliver their programs to widely diverse audiences that include elementary school children, university students, faculty and visitors. Their commitment to educating the public about people and desert environments significantly and most positively impacts future generations."
Mark Plew, Chair of the Department of Anthropology, Boise State University
SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS
This four-hour overview of the paleo, archaic and historic Indians
of the Snake River Canyon is offered daily from 15 March
through 31 October. The trip includes a hands-on discussion of
the Indian life ways, a petroglyph hike, instruction on the atlatl
range and a tour of the Historic Guffey Bridge, Idaho’s largest
historic artifact, with a discussion of the Euro-American settlement
of the region. This program is free to schools and sponsored
by Canyon County Parks. Reservations are required.
DESERT STUDIES INSTITUTE
This is a cooperative program between Canyon County Parks
and Boise State University. Every year the Institute offers a
wide range of coursework, workshops and scholarly presentations
concerning the prehistory, history, ecology and politics of
deserts world wide. Outstanding faculty and professionals
from all over the West enrich our understanding and appreciation
of desert ecosystems and promote their preservation as
valued educational resources. Contact Extended Studies at
Boise State University for current listings. Registration is required.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD SCHOOL
This annual six week course is offered by the Department of Anthropology at
Boise State University and takes place at Celebration Park. Students develop the
techniques and skills that comprise the craft of 21st century Archeology. Excavations
and analysis of materials from ancient habitation sites enable students to
reconstruct community patterns and regional settlement systems and understand
the ancient art and technology of the Snake River peoples. Registration is required.
IDAHO ARCHEOLOGY AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION MONTH
Canyon County Parks celebrates the past each May with the rest of Idaho
by offering special scholastic presentations, and exhibits at Celebration
Park and other park facilities in the County. Presenters and programs are
annually selected on the basis of their relevance and expertise relating to
the objectives of our Archaeological and preservation programs. These
programs are sponsored by numerous agencies and organizations and are
free.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR STUDENTS
Students interested in any aspect of cultural resource investigation, interpretation or preservation and are pursing a higher education are encouraged to inquire about internships, research stipends and seasonal employment offered by Canyon County Parks, Recreation and Waterways.
For more information: thepark@canyonco.org