Two smiling students

Center Life

A typical day at Trapper Creek Job Corps is full of activities to help our students prepare for the real world. Students get up early and spend the majority of their day receiving academic and hands-on career technical training.

After class, students study or hang out with friends before dinner in the cafeteria. After dinner, students may do chores in their dorms or spend their downtime studying. Most students are in bed by 10 PM in order to rest for the next day's tasks.

Recreation

Trapper Creek Job Corps boasts one of the best recreation programs in the nation. Students find our recreational activities to be a fun and exciting way to meet new friends, socialize, and just relax and unwind at the end of the day.

Some of the activities we offer are billiards, foosball, table tennis, weightlifting, wall climbing, video games, tennis, board games, movies, dances, fashion shows, talent shows, archery, bike riding, barbeques, LAN parties, and cultural events.

Student input is a critical part of our recreation program. Each dorm has representatives on the Recreation Committee where students are encouraged to submit ideas for new and different activities.

Intramural Program

Our intramural program consists of basketball, flag football, volleyball, softball, and floor hockey. Students are encouraged to participate regardless of gender and expected to conduct themselves in a sportsman-like manner while participating.

Varsity Activities

We also offers varsity competition for men and women in basketball, volleyball, softball and tennis. Participants must maintain a good behavior record and above average performance overall to be eligible to compete on varsity teams.

Challenge Adventure Program

The Challenge Adventure Program (CAP) is a curriculum of team challenges for small groups of students. In this program, students learn teamwork and develop their leadership skills. Students participate in their first "adventure" during their first two weeks on center. Challenges are presented in a variety of settings including the center gymnasium, the ball field, the low ropes course, and the high ropes course.

Arts and Crafts

Students are invited to participate in crafts such as ceramics, macramé, beadwork, leather craft, crocheting, knitting, and pottery. Other creative activities include oil painting, watercolor, pastels, pen and ink, silk screening, and sculpture. Students are required to finish each project they start.

Students may enter various arts and craft competitions including center-wide competitions, competitions with other Job Corps center, and county fairs. Students may also be invited to participate in Bitterroot Valley Art Guild projects.

Off Center Trips

We also schedule off center trips for various activities and events. These activities include swimming, camping, skiing, movies, horseback riding, hiking, and fishing, museums, sightseeing, athletic events, and shopping.

Wilderness Discovery

In this program, students go off center for several days on a wilderness camping experience. In addition to being in the wilderness, students work to better themselves by challenging their muscles and minds. Wilderness Discovery trips are taken year round.

Student Government Association

The Student Government Association (SGA) is the students' voice to promote change at Trapper Creek Job Corps. Students are encouraged to participate in the SGA meetings held every other week.

The primary purposes of the SGA are to:

  • Provide feedback to the center's administration on policy issues
  • Provide a sounding board for students' opinions and suggestions about all center programs
  • Encourage citizenship training by exposure to election procedures and the use of formal rules of order
  • Develop leadership potential through holding office, solving problems, and making decisions for the good to the student body.

The SGA has also input on the center's Student Standards of Conduct system as well as center policies and incentives. SGA representatives attend weekly Center Management Team meetings.

Elections are held twice a year or as needed. Elected SGA officers are President, Vice President, Secretary, Parliamentarian, Treasurer, and Sergeant-at-Arms.

Community Involvement

Trapper Creek enjoys a good relationship with the local community and our students volunteer for local organizations and events like Adopt-a-Highway, Bitterroot Valley Relay for Life, Chief Victor Days, Darby Clean-up Day, Make a Difference Day, National Youth Services Day, Ravalli County Search & Rescue Reserve Team, Ravalli County Museum Apple Days, and the Special Olympics.

Over the years, our student have used their career technical training to complete numerous community work projects such as the Ravalli County Fair Grounds. Students in our Welding program have produced road closure gates, cattle guards, fire-ring grills, and pedestal grills for local National Forests. Union Masonry students have produced picnic tables and bases, concrete parking curbs, camping pads, and vehicle curb stops for local National Forests as well. Currently, our Union Carpenters students are working on a Habitat for Humanity project.

National Disaster Crews

Crews made up of Trapper Creek students have provided help with the Columbia space shuttle disaster recovery and reconstruction efforts after Hurricane Katrina. Several of our students work as fire and camp crews each summer to fight forest fires.

Safety

Job Corps is committed to offering all students a safe and secure environment. That's why we have a Zero Tolerance Policy for violence, alcohol, and drugs. Any student who breaks this policy will be dismissed immediately from Job Corps.

Our Student Standards of Conduct System (42 kb PDF file) includes the rules of behavior that we expect our students to follow.

Note: The above PDF files open in a new window and require Adobe Acrobat Reader to be viewed. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer, you may go to Adobe's Web site to download it.

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Page last updated: Wednesday, March 25, 2009