As a young teacher at Proctor, David Fowler had a transformational experience on a Hurricane Island Outward Bound program. When he became Head of School in 1971, the challenge was "How do we take the power of experiential education and integrate a college preparatory curriculum?" Proctor has responded to that challenge in many ways over the years. The first response, launched thirty years ago, was Mountain Classroom. This winter's group went dog sledding, ski touring and winter camping in Minnesota before heading south to New Mexico's Gila Wilderness. Here they backpacked and took three-day solos in the desert (it snowed!). Canyoneering in Texas's Big Bend National Park, they rapelled down from the mesa to the Rio Grande valley floor.
After loading up canoes with gear, they paddled for several days from Lajitas through Santa Elena Canyon into the heart of Big Bend.
Field studies completed, they finished research projects and final exams in Albequrque. Below, an early stab at spelling Proctor at sunrise:
