STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Wood River High School student Angel Guzman dreams of becoming an archaeologist.

“I would like to study everywhere. I just want to travel and explore,” he said.

Guzman got to explore outer space recently through The Space, an afterschool program based in Hailey that provides academic support and enrichment activities to Wood River Valley middle and high school students. He was one of multiple students who built a planetarium out of cardboard by creating the templates, cutting the cardboard and drilling holes for the connectors. Then he ducked inside to learn about the constellations.

“The planetarian took up whole room, and we learned all about the constellations—I was amazed how many named stars there are,” he enthused. “I really like The Space—they helped me with math, taught me to use a protractor.”

The Space not only helps students with the nuts and bolts of math and reading, tests and papers, but it engages students in a wide variety of projects like fiber arts, math games, creative writing and cooking in hopes of stoking their passion about topics they might not have ever considered before. It also provides college prep support.

And the nonprofit organization will hold a Winter Gathering Open House from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18, to acquaint the community with the educational work it’s doing with teens. The gathering will be held at the Sun Valley Culinary Institute in Ketchum and will include food and wine. A short presentation will be held at 4:45 p.m.

“Our story began four years ago, and it’s been an incredibly busy four years,” said Executive Director Aaron Bronson. “The idea is to level the playing field by providing high-quality academic support. There needs to be something to help students and at The Space we are able to get to know each student—their passions…to help them be the best they can be.”

Funded largely by donations, The Space held its first fundraiser this past summer at The Valley Club over mimosas and savory bites. It was a new type of fundraiser, said emcee Larry Flynn. Attendees were given mobile devices, with which they could make donations. Each time donations reached a certain mark, donors watched a short video featuring students before returning to their mobile devices to reach the next level.

“Every time I have a test, I go there to have help,” said a Spanish-speaking student as the donations went from $40,000 to $56,000. Another talked of how The Space helped her complete her GED as the donations climbed to $75,000. Still another told how The Space had helped him realize that he actually liked math, that he didn’t have to be afraid of it.

There are more than 250 students participating in programs with The Space this year, up from just over 200 the year before.

Some of those students spent eight weeks at the Wood River YMCA this fall trying out the swimming pool and the climbing wall and learning about the other opportunities the Y has to offer. At graduation each was gifted with a one-year membership for their family.

The Space continues to take groups of students to the Y every Wednesday as part of its Wednesday Enrichment field trips exploring art, nature and taking part in physical activity. Members of the Nature Conservancy, for instance, taught them about macroinvertebrates during a trip to Silver Creek. Chefs have taught them to make sushi, tacos and a variety of salads. And they took The Pringles challenge, creating things out of Pringles.

“Collaborations with partners like the Wood River YMCA allow us to expand our capacity while maintaining a deep connection with our youth, said Bronson.

Lorraine Davis was among those who attended the fundraiser.

“I visited The Space and I was blown away--they had an equation on the board that was Greek to me,” she said.

Louisa Moats, a nationally renowned educator, said she is impressed by The Space’s approach to embrace kids in every way, including socially and emotionally: “In the process, kids get excited about learning.”

“We know from their stories that they feel heard. They feel validated. They enjoy a sense of belonging with a compassionate adult in a place where they matter,” Bronson said. “They’re realizing there’s so much more to learning than getting a grade and a check in the box. And they’re learning things like perseverance that will stay with them the rest of their lives.”