Who We

Are

Celebrating 55 years

in 2025.

Core programming has been at the heart of the ELC since 1970. It forms the foundation of our mission to get young people out into the woods, rivers, and lakes, fostering a deep connection with the natural world.

In 2008 we expanded our reach by introducing the Young Explorer program for 4th and 5th graders. Then in 2017, we launched Tiny Tree programming for 2nd and 3rd graders, inviting even younger learners to experience nature firsthand.

Over the years the ELC has called several special places our home.

Our journey began at the Friedrich City Center in 1970. In 1977 the first log cabin was built on Flower Valley Road, providing a dedicated space for outdoor education. A second cabin followed near Hay Creek in 1990. The next year, 1991, the ELC moved to the Anderson Center, where the Two Harbors Cabin was completed in 2007. Finally, in 2014 we settled into our current home at 442 Guernsey Lane—a place that continues to nurture generations of outdoor learners by giving us the space to meet and store our equipment safely and securely.

We also continue to offer family and adult programming as well, with a schedule designed to welcome participants of all ages and stages and ensuring everyone has the opportunity to connect with nature.

Current ELC Staff:

Jason Jech began full time in 1991

Chad Nelson began full time in 1999

Laura Schmidt started in 2011

Adam Brusven began full time in 2024

“I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand.”

We emphasize this Chinese proverb—which is the epitome of experiential learning—where students try new activities, make mistakes, and learn from them.

Words from past participants

  • The journey not the destination

    “The greatest gift the ELC gave me was the understanding that life is full of achievements, but the living, the wonderment, and the joy happens in the journey not the destination.”

    — Tom W.

  • These experiences set me on a path

    “I thought that first trip would never end. I just kept signing up, eventually completing 50 or more programs including the Instructors program. These experiences set me on a path that would eventually lead me to a degree in environmental and outdoor education and a career that would encompass over 1200 field days leading wilderness trips, directing wilderness therapy programs, starting my own sailing business, and a non-profit climate change education program.”

    — Mark G.

  • Rising above the challenges

    “No matter the weather or the challenging terrain, we pushed on. No matter how rough the seas were...always getting back up...we pushed on. We persevered. It's my greatest realization of how being involved with the ELC has impacted me. Life is full of hard things, but I feel like I have been able to rise above the challenges of life because of the experiences I was so lucky to have in my youth. I am forever grateful.”

    — Katie R.

READ MORE TESTIMONIALS