Pathways programs yielding early success for local students

A project approximately 17 years in the making has already started to pay dividends for Gunnison Watershed School District students. The Pathways building, which opened in August 2025, shows promising results for local learners who pursue options beyond the traditional classroom curriculum. 

From hairstyling to bicycle technician training and much more, Pathways programs support diverse educational opportunities and impressive graduation rates, according to Pathways Director Chad Terry.

Terry presented early updates from the rollout of the programs to the Gunnison Watershed School Board earlier this week. He highlighted both the tangible measurements indicating how Pathways has helped local students, as well as the less concrete examples of success that Pathways is encouraging. 

The development of the dedicated Pathways building and the unique programs that it houses dates back to 2008, when a school bond passed to pave the financial way for Pathways to emerge. 

Originally the site of the Gunnison Valley School until the school’s closure in 2011, the Pathways Center as it’s known today evolved out of a 2014 needs assessment that looked at nontraditional education at the high school level. The successful November 2022 school bond created ample additional support for Pathways to expand.

At the start of the 2025-2026 school year, the expanded Pathways Center debuted state-of-the-art culinary and hospitality facilities and classrooms, expanded outdoor education facilities including secure storage space and a new hair styling salon. Plus, Pathways now offers a healthcare lab, a flex classroom that will allow for future programmatic growth and a secure entrance that “vastly improves school security,” according to Terry’s presentation. 

The goal at Pathways is relatively straightforward, said Terry: “How do we best prepare students for the future?”

But taking a holistic and forward-thinking approach to that question requires flexibility and funding. Still, Terry told the board, the payoffs are substantial.

In a typical semester, Terry said, the Pathways Center serves over 250 students from sixth through 12th grade. These students can take advantage of over 100 diverse course offerings, such as career and technical education opportunities, elective courses and online learning.

Career options that Pathways opens up include a Certified Nursing Aide program in partnership with Western Colorado University, a hairstyling program in partnership with Technical College of the Rockies and culinary arts education in partnership with the Colorado Restaurant Association. Five of Pathways’ current career and technical education programs can lead directly to industry certification. 

Wilderness First Responder classes, outdoor education and connected programs across the district like agriculture and construction also have their place at Pathways. 

Additionally, various Gunnison Valley businesses provide work-based learning and internships through Pathways. 

Terry said the influence of Pathways on participating students ranges from experience building to graduation rates. Internships provide in-depth understanding of potential fields for students to go into – and they learn relatively quickly if that field doesn’t fit their vision. Students who experience challenges in the traditional classroom also see benefits through the flexibility that Pathways offers. Terry said some students who might be at risk of falling too far behind to graduate can make up credits successfully through Pathways. The option of a fifth year of high school is also a supportive avenue that Pathways provides.

With the district graduation rate currently at 95%, per Terry, Pathways is an important part of the complex equation to keep a wide range of students on track for success.

And success isn’t just measured by the caps, gowns and diplomas. Terry noted students who utilize online classes – whether in a hybrid setup or fully remote – overall experience a successful online course completion rate of 80%. Though hard to track amid the wide variety of online education options available nationwide, the high completion rate here is higher than the national average, Terry said.

The Pathways-specific counselor based at the center contributes to that success, Terry added.

The future goals of Pathways remain somewhat nebulous. Without attaching specific numeric benchmarks to the forward-looking directions, Terry said the Pathways program aims to increase the number of career and technical education programs offered, the number of students participating in these programs and the number of internship and industry certifications available.

Online courses are a priority too. In particular, though, Terry said he hopes to grow the outdoor education program. Specifically, he wants to see high interest and excellent teaching for the semester-long elective courses under the outdoor education umbrella.