Sierra Outdoor School

Sierra Outdoor School History 

Sierra Outdoor School at Five Mile Creek was originally constructed in 1965 as part of the Economic Opportunity Act, signed into law on August 20, 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The facility was designed to house the newly formed Job Corps program, one of the central initiatives in President Johnson’s War on Poverty. The Job Corps provided general and vocational education for young people ages sixteen through twenty-one, helping prepare them for the workforce and responsible citizenship. 

Known at the time as the Five Mile Job Corps site, the campus was located within the Stanislaus National Forest and served young men in a residential setting. A core philosophy of the Job Corps was to remove students from their home environments so they could focus fully on skill development and personal growth. Many of the young men who attended the Five Mile site came from urban communities on the East Coast. 

A Site in Transition 

In late 1969, funding for the Five Mile Job Corps site was discontinued. The facility was subsequently converted into an administrative site for the United States Department of Forestry within the Stanislaus National Forest. During this period, the Forest Service attempted to lease the site to various agencies and school districts, but none expressed interest in utilizing the remote facility. 

The Meeting That Sparked a New Vision 

The future of the Five Mile site changed through a pivotal conversation. Charlie Westmoreland, the site supervisor for the Stanislaus National Forest, described the unused facility to Ernest “Ernie” Poore, the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools. Through their discussions, a new idea emerged, one that envisioned the site as an outdoor environmental education center where students could learn through direct experience in nature. Their shared vision laid the foundation for what would become a model outdoor environmental education program, transforming a dormant federal site into a place of learning and discovery. 

The Regional Learning Center (1970–1988) 

From 1970 through 1988, the Fresno County Office of Education operated the facility under a long-term lease from the Stanislaus National Forest. During this time, the site then known as the Regional Learning Center, served thousands of students and established the core educational philosophy that continues today. 

In the spring of 1988, the Fresno County Office of Education determined it could no longer operate the facility, and the site was once again offered to various agencies. 

Clovis Unified School District 

In the fall of 1988, under the leadership of Superintendent Dr. Floyd B. Buchanan, the lease was redirected to Clovis Unified School District. While the outdoor education program continued to grow, the aging facility required significant upgrades. Because the district did not own the land, major capital improvements were not possible. 

In 1991, CUSD made the decision to pursue ownership of the site. Although initial efforts were delayed due to Gulf War I, the process resumed in October 2001 with the assistance of Congressman George Radanovich. Legislation (H.R. 3401), co-sponsored in the Senate by Senator Dianne Feinstein, paved the way for the transfer. 

On December 17, 2002, President George W. Bush signed the conveyance transferring 27.10 acres to Clovis Unified School District. 

Sierra Outdoor School Today 

Following the conveyance, the facility was renamed Sierra Outdoor School at Five Mile Creek (SOS) in 2006. Since that time, Clovis Unified School District has made major site and building improvements to ensure the long-term success of the outdoor science program. To date, it is estimated that Sierra Outdoor School has served more than 300,000 students. 

Excerpt adapted from “50 Unified Years: Building a Tradition of Excellence in Clovis Unified Before, During and After Unification” 

Revisions made by Michael Olenchalk, Fomer Director of Sierra Outdoor School