Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center

The goal of BOEC is to expand the potential of people with disabilities and special needs through meaningful, educational and inspiring outdoor experiences.

BOEC provides three main types of programming ... adaptive ski/ride, wilderness, and intern programs.

The purpose of the adaptive ski/ride program is to provide opportunities for disabled individuals to get out on the ski hill and enjoy themselves. BOEC provides the lift tickets and special needs equipment to get this done.

The Wilderness Program for adults and children offers a number of year round camps, retreats and activities for individual and group signups. Programs are designed for specific needs and ability levels: brain injury, multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons, spinal cord injury for adults and brain injury, developmental/other disabilities, sensory processing disorders/autism for children.

BOEC Internship Program is designed to provide opportunities for individuals interested in Outdoor/Experiential Education, Therapeutic Recreation, and Recreation Management to gain professional experience and knowledge in this growing field. Interns get hands on experience in all aspects of programming and have the opportunity to expand their soft (people) skills as well as hard (technical) skills. There are two internships offered: summer term and winter term.

For 45 years, BOEC has been changing lives, or more accurately, showing people that they have the power within themselves to change their own lives. How does BOEC do this?

1. BOEC is situated on 39 acres above Breckenridge, Colorado, featuring a sub-alpine lake, lodge and cabin facilities and accessible trails.
2. BOEC has a residential lodge, climbing wall, high ropes course, team initiatives, rafts, canoes, sea kayaks, teepees, as well as programs at many locales in the mountains and on the rivers of the Colorado Rockies and the Desert Southwest.
3. BOEC strives to keep fees as low as possible and also raises scholarship monies to further help those in need.
4. All activities conducted by BOEC are consistent with the standards set out by the Association for Experiential Education (AEE) and the Professional Ski Instructors Association (PSIA). You can be confident in knowing that BOEC is accredited by AEE, an outside, independent organization that has reviewed and approved BOEC’s policies, practices and educational components. The AEE only accredits those programs that meet its standards.
5. Providing high quality programs in a risk-managed environment is a priority at BOEC.

2022 marks BOEC's 46th year of proudly serving adults and children with a wide array of disabilities and special needs from throughout Colorado and the United States, including 10 other countries. In our 2018-19 fiscal year we managed 10,987 programming days for more than 2,700 individual participants. BOEC provides nearly $260,000 per year in scholarships for participants in financial need. These funds are raised from generous individuals, foundations, corporations and government agencies from around the country.

What's next? The building of a new center at the base of Peak 8 at Breckenridge Ski Resort, and enrolling participants from more than the current 44 states and 10 countries.