麻豆传媒AV

Traveling to the breathtakingly scenic, small city of Challis, Idaho, 11 麻豆传媒AV students participated in the fourth annual Teaching in Rural Areas Immersion Learning (TRAIL) Experience.

Led by Teaching and Educational Studies faculty Amanda Eller, Ph.D., and Suzanne Beasterfeld, TRAIL offers students the opportunity for a week-long excursion in a rural-remote school and community to learn more about rural education and the area. 

The population of Challis is a little under 1,000 residents, and is known for its scenery and rich history. Many parks, hiking trails, hot springs, campgrounds, and the Salmon River provide several opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts. Challis has deep roots in mining and frontier history, with many preserved sites and museums telling the story of the area’s gold rush era.

This year’s visit took the group to the Challis School District, where candidates spent most of the week at Challis Elementary and Junior/Senior High School. One afternoon, they traveled to the tiny town of Stanley to visit the Stanley School, which has 21 students K-9 and three teachers, and is part of the Challis School District. Throughout the week, teacher candidates visited with district and school leadership and had the opportunity to learn more and ask questions about teaching in rural communities. After each day, they held debriefs to share observations, insights, and to discuss their experiences. 

Candidates also engaged in fun activities with students and teachers at the schools, where they served as judges for a cake decorating and tasting contest and were treated to music concerts.

“Thank you for including Challis in the TRAIL Experience,” said Challis School District Superintendent and Principal Lani Rembelski. “This is a valuable opportunity for students to experience and better understand the unique qualities of our small, rural schools. Our staff truly enjoyed collaborating with the ISU students and sharing their classrooms and expertise.” 

“Opportunities like this are instrumental in helping rural America and the communities that reside in such,” said one of the teacher candidates, Isaac Brambila. “It opened my eyes to not only rural areas in Idaho but rural areas all over the world.” 

Because Challis has four-day school weeks, on Friday, the group had the chance to visit local historical sites and museums, including the North Custer Museum, Bayhorse Interpretive Center, and Bayhorse Ghost Town in the Land of the Yankee Fork State Park. 

Teacher candidates expressed that the community was welcoming, kind, and excited to share more information about teaching in rural communities. An emphasis on developing strong relationships was one of the top highlights, and they placed high value on their experience with the program. 

“TRAIL was such an amazing opportunity,” said Taylor Pope, an ISU student. “I learned so much about the school district we visited in Challis and Stanley, and got to see firsthand just how excellent and hard-working the faculty and staff are. The students and teachers treated us with nothing but kindness and respect, and I had a complete perspective change on what rural schools are really like. I am forever grateful for this TRAIL Experience!”

Maria Silva shared similarly, "TRAIL was one of the most meaningful experiences of my education journey. It showed me that small communities can make a big impact, strengthened my passion for teaching, and gave me valuable knowledge, meaningful connections, and memories I'll always cherish." 

Because rural-remote communities have a difficult time attracting and retaining teachers, experiences such as TRAIL are instrumental in allowing future teachers to immerse themselves and learn more about teaching in these high-need areas. 

To learn more about the TRAIL Experience, please contact Amanda Eller at amandaeller@isu.edu or Suzanne Beasterfield at suzannebeasterfield@isu.edu.