Civic-minded student project

It’s been just over eight months since North Idaho STEM Charter Academy students were given a $10,000 grant by the Rathdrum City Council and Hayden Homes Foundation.

Academy students Catherine Rocco, Riley Foutz, Ryan Wood and Talon McCarthy were awarded the grant to fund an extension of Storm King, a nine-hole disc golf course on Rathdrum Mountain.

STEM Academy students worked with volunteers including teachers, family, members of the North Idaho Disc Golf Club and Inland Northwest Flyers. Together they carved out trails, extensions and upgraded the course, to make an official 18 holes.

“As an educator, and one that teaches civics, this is a gift from heaven.” said Dave Johnson, academy instructor. “It’s one thing to teach students the Constitution, but to put that lesson in a more local project, that’s priceless.”

In addition to civics, Johnson teaches social studies and graphic design. He is also coordinator of the school's Student Leadership Council.

“We were approached by Leon Duce, city administrator,” said Johnson, “and he proposed that the city wanted to engage students in the whole community in civic-minded projects.”

Johnson presented students with the beautification competition Duce introduced, and students presented a series of ideas to put before the council.

“We’re very grateful for the opportunity the city has given us,” said Foutz. “It’s been fun. For (Rocco) and I, and all the other people who were participating with our class, it’s been an absolute blast.”

When their project won, Johnson merged his classes to involve all his students, and he invited school staff to participate in the project.

Jensen Eldenburg, science teacher and disc golf club leader for the Inland Northwest Flyers, was instrumental in evolving work on the course.

The disc golf community naturally came together to further work on the new course. The North Idaho Disc Golf Club worked on the original Storm King Course over the last few years, and club members were eager to help build the addition.

“I’ve been doing a ton of work with course improvements and course upgrades,” said Jason Petersen, president of North Idaho Disc Golf. “But Eldenburg has been spearheading the work for this extension.”

The golf course will be open to the public Monday. Over the weekend, volunteers are clearing remaining logs and debris, which will be mulched and added to paths to complete the project for the season.

“We’ve turned it into a successful disc golf course, and it’s looking playable,” Foutz said.

The Storm King course is nestled on Rathdrum Mountain, where you can alternately hear the stream, occasional bird calls and insect noises. It treks through steep inclines in hot sun, mixed with cool winding paths.

The new Westwood Course extends along the creek. At times it feels both exposed to the elements or secluded and cozy.

Volunteers spread grass seeds across the mulched course Friday, so by spring it will have a real green.

An additional phase will improve the added holes next spring, weather permitting, when the city and volunteers pour cement tee pads and add signage.

The STEM leadership team is developing signs to offer as sponsorship opportunities. Signs will cost $300 every two years and will show the course map beside sponsor logos.

“We would collect the sponsorship money,” said Emily Smith, city attorney. “We would put it in a special fund, earmarked for the disc golf course, and then those funds would be used for maintenance or switching the signs.”

Maintenance costs can include relocating pins to vary the course, updating sponsorship signs or possible repairs to the tee pads.

Rathdrum's mayor sponsored a sign to support the course, as did the city council. Now 16 signs remain open for sponsorship.

The STEM Academy students have about $1,600 remaining from the original grant. They’ve set that aside for the mulching costs this weekend, and to cover costs of the cement tee pads next spring. Any balance to complete the pads will be covered by the city.

Cobalt Land Management volunteered labor and discounted prices to mulch the course and add final touches to the course.

The Hayden Homes Foundation matched the city grant in February and Izzy McCaslin and Tori Bauer of the STEM academy were also awarded a grant of $10,000. Their park beautification and fountain project was completed over the summer.