Specialties
The Chewelah Peak Learning Center is a non-profit host facility for groups with an educational purpose. Sponsored by the Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP), our primary mission is to provide low cost opportunities for school children to explore environmental and leadership issues. We are also available for other groups looking for an affordable retreat center at which to hold their educational programming.
History
Established in 2003.
The Chewelah Peak Learning Center first began as the vision of Spokane-area principal Ralph Larsen who saw a need for more opportunities for students in eastern Washington. Thanks to the hard work of Ralph and his colleague Bill Reuter, AWSP and its Foundation set out to build a second learning center (in addition to the Cispus Learning Center in Randle, Washington) to serve students primarily from the rural, highly diverse populations of Adams, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Grant, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, and Whitman counties.
After many years and investigating more than 18 potential sites, the decision was made to develop a camp near Chewelah, Washington and the 49° North Ski Area. It was dedicated on September 13, 2003, as the Chewelah Peak Learning Center under the leadership of AWSP President Gary Kipp (now AWSP Executive Director). Chewelah Peak continues to grow in number of visitors and facilities. We are continually looking for opportunities to serve our
Meet the Manager: Bill B.
Bill Barnes joined the Chewelah Peak staff as the Challenge Course manager in 2004 and became general manager in 2008. From 1992 to 1998, he was the Challenge Course manager at Cispus Learning Center. In the interim, he taught special education classes in the White Pass and Morton school districts. He also taught in the Puget Sound area while doing graduate study in the Sociology of Education at the University of Washington. Bill graduated from Boise State University after six years in the U.S. Navy and is an alumnus of Borah High School in Boise, Idaho.
