FBRA Blog
Meet West Burge, FBRA Class of 2020 For West Burge, life after FBRA has continued to be filled with many of the things he loved during his middle school years: adventure, the outdoors, challenging experiences, and being part of a team. Today, West lives in Bellingham, Washington, where he attends Western Washington University during the […]
By Felix Dowsley, Boys Program Director Before I became Program Director and committed my summers to spreadsheets and carpet-walking, I had a very special 4th of July tradition: camping with FBRA students in the woods of Kentucky, climbing the world-class sandstone found in the Red River Gorge. With a trailer full of ropes, climbing shoes, […]
By Britt Payne, Girls Program Teacher and Trip Leader The Middle Fork doesn’t just flow through Idaho, it feeds it.. Every bend offers something entirely different. One minute you’re floating through a wide shallow riverbed, rolling valleys scarred by old burns, where blackened pines stand like monuments to fires long past. The next you’re swallowed […]
By Stiles Rockey, Development Director At FBRA, the first week of school looks a little different. Instead of beginning the year behind desks and diving straight into academics, our students start outside—living, learning, adventuring, and building community together. The Girls Program begins and ends Induction Week at Camp Green Cove, while the Boys Program gathers […]
by Liddell Shannon, Girls Program Science Teacher On Friday, May 29, twenty high school seniors joined twelve teachers at FBRA’s new South Campus building to celebrate a cherished time capsule tradition that began in 2015, when the FBRA Girls’ Program was first established. The tradition was created by then Program Director Jennifer Buell (Señora H), […]
As the school year comes to a close, our graduating eighth graders are preparing for exciting new adventures in high school and beyond. For many of them, music has been more than a class or extracurricular activity. It has become a vehicle for collaboration, creativity, and confidence building. We are fortunate to have several dedicated […]
By Tricia Chan, Girls Program Director I toss the last of the 95 drybags into our giant rented truck and slam the tailgate before everything spills out. It’s September 12, and my crew- four friends, including my husband John- and I are leaving Boise, Idaho on our way to Boundary Creek Campground, the put-in for […]
By Liddell Shannon, FBRA Girls Science Teacher Over the years, FBRA Girls Program has had several Science Olympiad Teams. The most recent one before this year was in 2022/23 with an after-school program that I led with the help of FBRA board member Laura Bowers. This year, we offered Science Olympiad as a 7th/8th Grade […]
By Will Yeiser, Executive Director & Co Founder When we opened our doors in 2009, a ski program was not part of the plan. It wasn’t in the budget, on the schedule, or even on our radar. But as winter approached, we began exploring the idea of launching a ski program at FBRA. During my […]
By Felix Dowsley, Boys Program Director “¿Hace frío, Rodolfo?”“¡Sí! Hace frio.” We were cresting the pass between Jalcomulco and Tlapcoyan, headed for the legendarily fun Roadside section of the Alsaseca River. Rodolfo, a former raft guide who switched to driving shuttles after years of abusing his knees carrying boats, huddled over the steering wheel, a […]