Garfield County educator turns childcare into mentorship program

Glenwood Springs —The air off the Colorado River still holds the chill of morning, but the trailhead at Hanging Lake is already buzzing. Bikes lean against railings. Kids in muddy sneakers wait for instructions. It looks like a standard summer excursion, but the mission is different here. This isn’t just about getting the kids out of the house. It’s about rewiring how they see the world around them.

Ben Canady didn’t want a babysitting service. He wanted a mentorship program disguised as childcare. Eight years ago, the longtime Garfield County educator looked at the local system and saw a gap. Most programs watched children while guardians worked. Canady wanted to teach them.

He spent nearly a decade in the classroom, mostly at Two Rivers Community School. That experience taught him two things. First, every student’s path to success is unique. Second, experience beats theory. You can tell a kid about nature, or you can put them in it. The latter sticks.

“The best time to teach kids is when they’re out of breath,” Canady said.

That philosophy birthed the program. It started as a way to keep Garfield County students engaged during spring and summer breaks. Place-based learning was the core. Now, it’s a year-round operation. It does more than the average daycare. It coaches. It mentors. It prepares the next generation of locals.

The daily routine reflects this. A day might involve biking to Hanging Lake and back. It might mean volunteering to sort potatoes at Lift-Up. It could be a simple walk along the river. But every activity has a lesson attached.

Take Clean the Beaches Day. It returned for its third year on Wednesday. Kids walk up and down the Devereux Beaches alongside the Colorado River. They pick up trash. Canady noted they pack out between 50 and 100 pounds of waste. The goal isn’t just cleanliness. It’s behavioral.

“It’s really about trying to rewire their brains to the point where if they see something that doesn’t belong there, they pick it up,” Canady said.

The staff drives this home. They don’t just watch. They model the behavior they want to see.

Mary Guillory has been with the operation practically since it started. She came to the valley over six years ago to visit her sister. She never left. For her, it’s about giving back.

“Giving back to the community is one of my favorite things about living here, and being a part of this group just helps me do that,” Guillory said.

She loves the outdoors. She loves the adventure. But she loves the teaching aspect most. The team emphasizes "leave no trace." It’s not just a slogan. It’s a rule of engagement.

Haley Wilken, another instructor, found her way to the Roaring Fork Valley after making a literal list of what she wanted in a job. She found it here. The Mountain School isn’t just filling a gap in the childcare market. It’s building character. It’s creating stewards. And it’s doing it while the kids are busy getting dirty.

The short version? This isn’t summer camp. It’s an investment in the people who will one day run this valley. And right now, that investment is paying off in trash-free beaches and breathless kids.