TELLURIDE ACADEMY STAFF – Gathered for a pre-season photo just prior to the Monday, June 10, launch of its 33rd Summer Season. (Courtesy photo)

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TELLURIDE – “This year could be the Academy’s largest attendance ever, said Academy Executive Director, Elaine Demas after the June 10 launch of the organization’s 

33rd year of summer-enrichment programming. “If our bookings keep up at our current pace, we expect to host approximately 850 children and teens.”

With camps featuring everything from studying the local watershed and birds while paddling the San Miguel River and rock climbing to fixing a flat tire while mountain biking and cooking great food in the backcountry, the Academy’s more tan 50 instructors and specialists work to lay “a foundation for a lifetime of physical activity and exploration,” said Demas.

This summer’s programs include collaborations with a range of organizations, including the Telluride Institute’s Watershed Education Program, the Audubon Society, Pinhead Institute, the Telluride Historical Museum, the Telluride Kayak School and the Silverton-based Mountain Studies Institute.

The Academy just wrapped up its first ever Capital Campaign, and, “Through the generous support of so many Academy Families and supporters, we able to raise $315,000 in 18 months to pay for our new administrative office,” reported Demas. Helping them toward that goal: A $75,000 Special Initiative Grant from the Telluride Foundation, in addition to over 100 donations from Academy families, the Boettcher Foundation, the Faraway Foundation and Just For Kids. The Telluride Academy was recently endorsed by 1% For The Planet, which Demas hopes will, “open up doors for us for funding from For-Profit Organizations that have committed to donate 1% of their profits to environmental education and preservation.”

For more information, visit tellurideacademy.org.