BROEP offers our students opportunities to explore the great outdoors and learn with experienced guides, world-class equipment, and pristinely maintained trails, natural water features, and facilities. Right in our own backyard, we have been able to use BROEP consistently for activities that support our physical education curriculum and for special team-building and experiential learning opportunities. The price is certainly right! While there is no cost to our district, we do try to show our appreciation for BROEP by coming back, year after year, as a grateful participant in the founder’s mission. We are fortunate to have BROEP as a partner in outdoor education. Our students grow exponentially in their appreciation of nature and healthy outdoor recreation with every experience.

The Black River Outdoor Education Program has provided our students with opportunities to focus on life-long wellness. Students have the opportunities to respect and enjoy the environmental gifts we have in Central New York while engaged in educational lessons and large motor aerobic activity. Our students and staff work together and learn how to bike, ski, boat, and hike while with BROEP. This program has enhanced our physical education opportunities by allowing us to utilize the resources and equipment so all students can meet with success and gain confidence in their own abilities. We are extremely appreciative of BROEP’s generosity.

Oneida County Tourism promotes the BREIA trail system as one of the key winter outdoor activities for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. The value to us is having a quality developed product that is well-maintained to promote to potential visitors. The same goes for the educational opportunities it presents and offers to school-aged children, school systems, home school groups, and more.

I have enjoyed BREIA’s trail systems for more than 20 years. Thousands of visitors take advantage of this incredible free resource, which offers year-round recreational opportunities including cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, and mountain biking. The surrounding region also benefits from the dollars visitors spend in restaurants, gas stations, and retail shops.

BREIA’s sister organization, BROEP, operates nine campuses exclusively and free of charge for the benefit of students in seven upstate counties. All of the above-mentioned activities as well as kayaking are integrated with educational programming in geology, biology, environmental science and more. My affinity for these programs prompted an invitation to join the BROEP board of directors. I quickly accepted this opportunity because I fully support the mission and vision of this organization and its founder.