After working in the outdoor industry and as professional educators, Kristin and Sean Bierle saw an opportunity to combine the academic realm of traditional schools with the outdoor and adventure activities they loved.  They realized that the skills used by outdoor programs to develop leadership abilities would perfectly complement the knowledge that could be absorbed from riveting natural and cultural locations.

 

The Alzar School was first known as “Alzar Youth Adventures,” and was founded in the summer of 2004.  The first program ever run by Alzar was a Wilderness First Responder course, provided for raft guides and kayak instructors in Idaho. The training in that course has better equipped operating outdoor leaders to handled emergencies in wilderness settings.

 

Since 2004, the Alzar School has been steadily growing. Sean and Kristin have worked hard to train themselves, in both the academic and outdoor realms.  They have also been busy recruiting potential teachers.  They have developed contacts with schools and students, working to find those teenagers who would benefit the most from joining their expeditions.

 

In February 2007, Alzar led a group of students for a three-week expedition to Chile. During this expedition, the group was able to make successful runs down the Rio Teno, Rio Claro, Rio Achibueno, and Rio Ñuble. This expedition also included hiking to the base of Volcan Planchon, visiting an orphanage in Curico, and surfing at Pichilemu.

 

Alzar School’s Executive Director, Kristin Bierle, and Head Teacher, Sean Bierle, headed to Mexico in October 2007 in order to scout out the country for potential future school expeditions.  They explored on the back of two motorcycles, riding over 3,600 miles in just under two months.  On their voyage, they also distributed school supplies collected by Boise High School’s Key Club and raised money for the Jean Bierle Scholarship Initiative.

 

In January and February 2008, the Alzar School returned to Chile with another group of students.  That expedition included descents on the Rios Fuy, Enco, Luicura, and Trancura.  Students and teachers hiked in Parque Nacional Reserva de Lircay, home of Enladrillado.  Students and teachers again enjoyed the waves at Pichilemu and continued our support of the Conin orphanage in Curico.  One of the highlights of this expedition was the inclusion of our first Jean Bierle Scholarship Initiative award recipient.

 

 

In June 2008, the Alzar School incorporated as a non-profit in the state of Idaho.  A core group of supporters were enlisted to serve on its first board of directors.  Additionally, over 25 committed experts volunteered to serve on the school's Advisory Committee, offering guidance for its curriculum and business practices.

In July 2008, the Alzar School hosted the Camp Cup Challenge 2008, at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in North Carolina.  This event, once an annual opportunity for young paddlers to get together, hadn’t been put on since 2002. The Alzar School was able to coordinate efforts of a number of agencies, organizations, and companies to make this possible, and saw 88+ participants enjoy a great day on the river.  We later found out that Kent Ford, a great friend and whitewater legend, started this event over 15 years ago and we are excited to help keep it alive.

Over the winter break of 2008-2009, the Alzar School ran a leadership development expedition called "Adventure in Mexico." A group of students from the United States explored the rivers of the Jalcomulco region. Thanks to the Jean Bierle Scholarship Initiative, two local girls were able to join the program, sharing the New Year's festivities with our US students. The group collected school supplies, then used a burro to hike them into the remote village, Xopilapas. Later, they visited the archaelogical ruins of El Tajin and ran the waterfalls of Cascadas Micos.

In April 2009, the school was approved by the IRS as an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Under special use permits issued by the Klamath and Boise National Forests, it offered "F.L.O.W. 2009," a leadership development course in Idaho and Northern California. Students earned college credit through Nortwest Nazerene University, as well as ACA Kayak Instructor certication and LNT Trainer endorsements. The group pulled noxious weeds along Clear Creek and removed six large trash bags of litter from Horseshoe Bend's Gutter.

The Alzar School again organized the Camp Cup Challenge in July 2009, expanding it to a two-day event. There were even more participating camps, with over 112 young paddlers. Guest coaches, including Joe Jacobi, Juliet Kastorff, Pablo McCandless, Gordon Black, and Wayne Dickert gave the young paddlers tips for running slalom gates and for navigating Nantahala Falls. Also in the summer of 2009, the Alzar School began the accreditation process with the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools.