Before showing us the recently completed 55th anniversary video, Jason Jech told the club that the Red Wing Environmental Learning Center was founded 1970, and he emphasized that in the age of smart phones and screens it’s more important now than ever. By getting youth outdoors, the ELC is able to teach skills, teamwork, communication, and build self-confidence and leadership. The events begin as individuals and become teams. In 1970, the ELC developed programs to attract youth as the organization began. The Red Wing School district is their fiscal agent, but it is not a school program because there was concern that the ELC would have been subject to cuts if it had been rolled in under the school district budget. Click READ MORE for the rest of the story about a very impressive and inspiring organization.
The programs of the ELC put emphasis on local first. Orienteering is a major skill that they teach. Reading a map can be very important, even in this age of devices. The ELC has an incredibly strong supporting relationship with Red Wing Shoes, whose leaders have said support of the ELC was “the right thing to do”. The ELC has a base cabin nearby that groups can use for weekend adventure trips with activities once there, like winter camping, cross-country skiing, rock climbing. Instructors emphasize kids being allowed to make mistakes in a safe environment and to learn from them.
About the Speaker: Jason Jech currently serves as the Executive Director of the Red Wing Environmental Learning Center, a role he has held since 2000. His connection to the organization actually began when he was 12 years old as a student in the program. Over the years Jason has served in many roles including Junior Instructor, Field Instructor, and Program Director before becoming the second director in the organization’s history.
Jason earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Outdoor Education from Northland College and later completed a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from Minnesota State University, Mankato. For more than four decades, he has helped young people discover the value of time outdoors and the life skills that come from shared adventure and challenge. Jason and his wife Jackie live in Red Wing, and they have three children: Jayden, Jackson and Joycie. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time outdoors whenever possible, whether that is hiking, paddling, scuba diving, building custom fishing rods or simply exploring the natural world with students, family, and friends.