Prineville, Ore. – The Crook County School District announced today that it will receive a $15,000 grant from the Rural Oregon Community Foundation to support a new student‑leadership program called the Western Way of Life – Student Leadership Initiative. The funding will enable each school in the district to establish a Western Way of Life Club, giving students hands‑on opportunities to serve their community while learning about the region’s agricultural heritage, outdoor skills, conservation and traditional crafts.
Program focus and student benefits
The clubs will center on community service projects, local agriculture, outdoor recreation, conservation efforts and the practice of traditional crafts such as woodworking and quilting. In addition, the initiative includes a curriculum designed to build resilience. Students will learn goal‑setting, optimism, personal responsibility, healthy relationships, how to recognize unsafe situations and how to seek help when needed.
Activities will be varied and locally grounded. Participants will partner with community organizations, attend guest‑speaker events, take field trips to farms and ranches, and lead service projects that benefit the surrounding area. Superintendent Joel Hoff emphasized that the program ties directly to the district’s rural identity.
Leadership voices
“Our community has a strong rural identity and a long tradition of working together, serving others and taking pride in where we live,” Hoff said. “This initiative gives students opportunities to build leadership skills while connecting with our community, local industries, agriculture and the Western way of life.”
Steve Holliday, president of the Rural Oregon Community Foundation, highlighted the foundation’s ongoing commitment to the region. “We are excited to deepen our partnership with the Crook County School District,” Holliday said. “Our spring program ‘Boots & Roots’ has been a great foundation to build upon. We are committed to preserving and promoting the western way of life in rural Oregon.”
Community impact
The grant will cover staff coordination, supplies and student‑led activities, ensuring that clubs have the resources they need to thrive. By fostering leadership rooted in local tradition, the district hopes to nurture a generation of responsible, community‑oriented citizens who will carry forward the values of hard work, stewardship and faith in family.
Local businesses and agricultural producers have expressed support for the initiative, noting that stronger youth involvement can help sustain the region’s economy and cultural heritage. Parents have also welcomed the focus on personal responsibility and safe‑decision making, seeing it as a positive complement to classroom instruction.
Looking ahead
The Western Way of Life clubs are slated to launch in the upcoming school year, with each school developing its own schedule of events and projects. District officials plan to evaluate the program’s impact on student engagement and community involvement, with the goal of expanding successful elements to neighboring districts in Central Oregon.
For more information about the Western Way of Life – Student Leadership Initiative, contact the Crook County School District office or visit the Rural Oregon Community Foundation website.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
