The Ripple Effect

From Sonora to Sacramento, Students Discover a New Way of Learning

“There is not a month that has gone by in the last 21 years that I have not thought about Foothill Horizons,” said Leah Feahr, former Outdoor Education student.  “It had an amazing impact on me.” 

Leah first attended Foothill Horizons as a student in the summer of 1981.  She went back during the 1981-1982 school year, attended the program again in the summer of 1982, and returned in 1988 as a junior counselor.  “It was the first place I felt comfortable interacting with people,” she said, crediting Foothill Horizons with helping her overcome her shyness and providing her with a starting point from which she has pursued her goals.

In December of 2001, Leah opened her own company, kQuest Learning Adventure, in Sacramento.  She is currently the Executive Director of this nonprofit organization, which works with after-school programs (middle and high school) and focuses on project-based learning.  Several of the skills and personal characteristics Leah acquired during her time at Foothill Horizons are incorporated into her company.  The hands-on learning approach, ecological focus, and positive interaction with adults that she experienced in Outdoor Education continue to influence the approach she takes in developing kQuest.  She also stressed the importance of having fun in a learning environment and strives to bring that atmosphere to her company and the students she serves.

Leah is currently in the process of writing a grant that will allow her students in Sacramento to work as junior counselors at Foothill Horizons.  She said this would provide her students with the opportunities to experience nature, develop leadership skills, enhance responsibility and experience the same positive influence that Foothill Horizons had on her life.