Education students get taste of teaching through Summit Elementary maple syrup project

Education students get taste of teaching through Summit Elementary maple syrup project

At UW-La Crosse, future educators are stepping outside the classroom for a hands-on partnership that brings science, sustainability and a touch of sweetness to local elementary students.

What started as an idea between two adapted physical education teachers at Summit Environmental Elementary School in La Crosse has come to life in the form of the Sugar Shack.

"Nickolas O'Keefe and I have been working together for four years now, and we both share a passion for the outdoors and getting kids outside," says Reid Hansen, one of the visionaries behind the Sugar Shack project.

Hansen often shared stories with O'Keefe of his family making maple syrup in his hometown of Durand, 80 miles northwest of La Crosse. One day, while on a canoe adventure on Summit's frog pond, the pair saw they were surrounded by maple trees.

"Nick said, 'That's it - we're tapping trees and making maple syrup at Summit. Done deal!'" Hansen recalls.

With support from the La Crosse Public Education Foundation, local partners and UWL's School of Education, the idea became reality. Each winter, Summit students now tap dozens of maple trees on the school's campus, collect sap over several weeks and boil it down into syrup inside the completed Sugar Shack.

The initiative also created a unique opportunity for UWL teacher candidates to step into real classrooms and apply what they've learned.

"Through the amazing work of Dean Wycoff-Horn, a partnership was built with Summit Environmental Elementary School," says Charlotte Roberts, assistant professor in Educational Studies.

That partnership brought approximately 70 UWL Early Childhood Education (ECE) and Elementary Middle Education (EME) preservice teachers to Summit, where they designed and taught science lessons focused on the history and process of maple syrup production in Wisconsin. In total, the lessons reached nearly 300 elementary students from kindergarten to fifth grade.

"With the support of donors helping fund projects and lessons, I scaffolded lesson plan development and implementation," Roberts explains. "Lessons included songs, simulations and arts integration."

The assignment challenged UWL students to create developmentally appropriate, standards-based science lessons, complete with hands-on activities, assessments and reflection. After teaching at Summit, preservice teachers evaluated their lessons, considering both strengths and areas for improvement, as well as broader questions about representation and teaching strategies.

At Summit, the presence of college students added another layer of excitement to the experience.

"Anytime we can partner with future educators, it's great for all parties involved," O'Keefe says. "Our students look up to the college students. They're the 'cool college kids,' so Summit students really engage with them."

That engagement was evident as UWL students led interactive lessons connecting classroom concepts to the real-world process happening just outside. From learning how sap flows through trees to understanding how heat transforms it into syrup, students experienced science in action.

The collaboration also created meaningful moments of connection.

"At the conclusion of one lesson, UWL education students and Summit students even got to share a sweet experience together by tasting some maple syrup," O'Keefe says.

From tapping trees to teaching lessons, the Sugar Shack project shows what is possible when education extends beyond the classroom - creating meaningful experiences for both future teachers and the students they serve.