Tahoe XC's Winter Discovery Center

Winter Discovery Center and SWEP at Tahoe XC

The Tahoe XC Winter Discovery Center yurt is home to Sierra Watershed Education Partnerships (SWEP) winter programs. SWEP curriculum abides by national Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), focusing on hands-on learning, monitoring, hypothesis and data collection from which Tahoe's local students and teachers benefit greatly.

Together, Tahoe XC and SWEP are getting Tahoe's local kids outside, learning snow science, winter safety survival and cross-country skiing.

A Typical Day at the Winter Discovery Center

Students arrive at the Winter Discovery Center yurt, get their ski equipment from the Tahoe XC rental shop and are introduced to skiing. At 9:30am, they begin a 1.5-hour science lesson inside the snow science lab (aka Winter Discovery Center yurt). They complete hands-on snow investigation aligned with federal NGSS, then participate in place-based snow data collection set right in their very own Tahoe woods. Afterwards, teachers lead self-guided cross-country ski tours on Tahoe XC groomed trails.

SWEP students participate in hands-on science lessons, collaborative learning and problem solving, which aligns with NGSS curriculum.

Each grade level has a theme:

• 3rd grade – snow & ice science
• 4th grade – plant and animal adaptation
• 5th grade – winter weather monitoring

SWEP students learn snow science and winter safety while cross-country skiing at Tahoe XC Winter Discovery Center.

The Animal Monitoring Program includes motion-triggered cameras set up within the Tahoe XC trail system to monitor wildlife. SWEP staff checks them weekly and captures images of wildlife, which they send to any classroom that has participated in or is going to participate in a SWEP program at the Winter Discovery Center.

Every year, SWEP students compete in the nationwide Snow School Snowpack Prediction Contest that engages them in real time about real data regarding snow depth at their SnowSchool location. Each SWEP class comes up with their prediction for the year’s snowpack in the Sierra and sends it in. Whichever class is the closest receives a pizza party with a real snow scientist!

SWEP students learn winter safety and survival skills at the Winter Discovery Center.

Your Donations at Work

Each year, Tahoe Cross-Country Ski Education Association (TCCSEA) pays $6,000 to SWEP to be a sub-contracted education provider at the Winter Discovery Center. Tahoe XC fundraising comes from donations, grant writing and in past years, benefiting from fundraising events like the Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival.

Get Involved

We need consistent funding to maintain SWEP programming as a part of the Winter Discovery Center. The $6,000 we donate to SWEP is just enough to cover base costs. For the Winter Discovery Center to grow, we need to reach higher fundraising goals. We are also seeking consistent fundraising opportunities and are open to ideas!

SWEP curriculum abides by national Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) by focusing on active learning, monitoring, hypothesis and data collection.

Green Achiever Award

In 2018, Tahoe Truckee Unified School District (TTUSD) was awarded the Green Achiever Award thanks to great efforts made by the district, many of which were prompted by SWEP. For example, in 2008, TTUSD voted to make budget-saving measures and began upgrading lights, water systems, waste management and more. SWEP saw the opportunity to teach kids about the changes happening with hands-on learning. The Green Team took pre- and post-audits, learned data gathering, hypothesis, measuring and had scientific discussions about real-time results.

The same principle applies to the Winter Discovery Center. At the 2018 national Green Achievers Awards ceremony in Washington D.C., SWEP and the Winter Discovery Center were mentioned on stage as unique for focusing on winter ecology and snow safety.

SWEP Executive Director Missy Mohler accepting national Green Achiever Award in Washington D.C.

Since its inception, SWEP has played a critical role in connecting students to their local environment (in and outside) the Winter Discovery Center yurt at Tahoe XC in a way that has a compounding effect on this region. Creating present and future stewards of the natural environment is a very good investment. Please invest in Tahoe Cross-Country Ski Education Association so we can keep SWEP programs at the Winter Discovery Center at Tahoe XC.