Over the past three years, the Clark Fork Junior/Senior High School Experiential Learning Track program has had a big impact on the population of the school.

One track that has had a big impact on the students is the Independent Track.

In the Independent Track, students get firsthand experience in jobs and hobbies they are interested in. It is aimed at older students who want to see what skills are needed for jobs and majors in college. From real estate agents to nurses to veterinarians, kids are enjoying the time they get to spend in their track.

“It has evolved a lot from the beginning,” said Rebecca Palmer, CFHS English teacher and Independent Track founder. “My goal was to incorporate it into the senior projects. This way, the seniors do a presentation on not just a subject, but on an experience. They will tell what they learned and they will demonstrate it.”

She also explained that some kids weren’t interested in other tracks that were offered, which include outdoor, home economics, technology, and health and wellness. They longed to do more than learn about the same things each year. They were interested in doing things such as nursing and teaching rather than theater and forestry.

“It is helpful for students to do something they think they have interest in,” said Lily Simko, a junior at Clark Fork High School. “And if they don’t like it, they know it’s not an interest anymore. Then they are able to try something new.”

Simko works with a local therapeutic riding program, which focuses on people with special needs or those who want to build confidence by enjoying their time riding horses.

“It’s so cool to be in an environment like this,” she said. “It not only teaches me how to train the horses, but to help the people with skills as well.”

Brooke Stevens, also a CFHS junior, is working at Century 21 Riverstone for her independent study. Stevens said she aspires to become a Realtor.

“It lets me know that I really do enjoy what I’m doing,” Stevens said. “I’ve been doing marketing for the Realtors here. It shows me what I can build up to be. It also shows me a perspective of what it is like to have a real job.”

Seniors from Clark Fork are truly benefiting from the Independent Track Program. Anna Fitchett, for example, has been shadowing in a third-grade class at Kootenai Elementary. She thought that she would enjoy teaching because she comes from a long line of teachers, but now realizes she doesn’t enjoy it as much as she thought. While she decided teaching may not be for her, she is benefiting from the experience.

“I’m doing my senior presentation on ‘Why kinesthetic learning is the most effective way to teach kids,’” she said. “Being able to actually experience being in a classroom and seeing how kids work and learn gives me more of an understanding of how students learn.”

Bryant Moore, also a senior at CFHS, is job shadowing at North Idaho Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. His plans after high school are to study to go into the medical field.

“It’s cool to follow the doctors and nurses around and meet the patients, too,” Moore said. “I get an inside look at what it’s like to actually be a doctor.”

On Jan. 19, the seniors presented their projects, which were coordinated with their Independent Track studies and judged by members of the community. The school’s blog, Wampus Talks, is a resource for the community to see what is happening in the Experiential Learning Track program, as well as other happenings at CFHS. Videos of the students presenting their senior projects can be viewed on the blog as well at wampustalks.blogspot.com.