Reflecting on 2025
As we look back on 2025, we feel deeply grateful for another year of learning, growing, and connecting with the incredible Flagstaff community. This year brought exciting new ideas, meaningful experiences with families and children, and, like any real journey, moments that challenged us, stretched us, and ultimately helped us strengthen the heart of FCE.
Dreaming Bigger: Expanding to All Ages
At the start of the year, we set our sights on expanding FCE’s reach by planning wider community classes for all ages, including adults. Our hope was to create spaces where not only children, but teens, caregivers, and community members of every generation could learn, create, explore, and build connections together.
While interest was strong and the enthusiasm from those who did enroll was incredibly encouraging, we ultimately weren’t able to fill the classes to the level needed to run them sustainably. That meant making the difficult but thoughtful decision to cancel these offerings for now.
But this wasn’t a failure, it was a lesson. We learned about timing, outreach, pricing, capacity, and the importance of really listening to what our community needs and when they need it. We now have a much clearer understanding of how FCE can continue to grow in meaningful, sustainable ways, and we are carrying those lessons forward.
Strengthening Our Foundation
Because of what we learned, we chose to pause offering our fall Creative Connections program and instead take a purposeful step back to strengthen the foundation of FCE. Rather than rushing forward, we gathered a team of local educators, community leaders, and deeply invested Flagstaff voices to help shape the future of our work.
This has been an incredibly rich process; together, we have been asking big questions:
How do we ensure FCE remains rooted in authentic community connection?
What does meaningful, place-based education look like long-term?
How do we build something not just exciting for now, but sustainable for years to come?
This intentional pause has helped reaffirm what makes FCE special: relationships, collaboration, creativity, and a true love for our community.
A Summer to Remember
One of the brightest parts of 2025 was our summer camp program, which was both joyful and deeply rewarding. Our campers explored the outdoors, volunteered, met local experts, and experienced firsthand what it means to be part of a caring community.
We hiked Flagstaff’s beautiful trails, asked curious questions, created art inspired by our surroundings, and built friendships along the way. We met people who care for our forests, our water, our natural spaces, and our neighbors, and our campers got to see how they, too, can play a role in caring for their community. It was a summer full of laughter, learning, and those small but powerful moments when kids light up because they feel capable, connected, and part of something meaningful.
Looking Ahead to 2026
With a stronger foundation, renewed clarity, and so much gratitude for what we’ve learned, we’re already hard at work planning for our 2026 Summer Camp. Registration will officially open on February 1st, and we are thrilled about what’s ahead.
This year, we are honored to collaborate with a team of NAU professors and doctoral candidates who will be observing our summer camp, offering insights, and supporting us as we continue to strengthen and deepen our place-based learning experience. Their expertise will help ensure that FCE remains thoughtful, informed, and deeply rooted in meaningful community connection.
2025 reminded us that meaningful work doesn’t always move in straight lines. Sometimes growth looks like expansion; sometimes it looks like pausing, listening, restructuring, and strengthening our roots. We’re ending the year with a clearer vision, a stronger support network, and genuine excitement for what’s ahead.
Thank you to every family, educator, community partner, volunteer, and child who joined us, trusted us, and walked alongside us this year. Your energy, creativity, and commitment to community are what make FCE possible.
We can’t wait to keep exploring, learning, and growing with you in 2026.