During Harry James’ career, he inspired a multitude of young boys with his blend of education, outdoor lore, and culture. Many of these boys went on to successful careers thanks to the training they received. As the James Reserve was founded because of the generosity of Harry and Grace James, personnel at the James feel it is important to try and maintain the education legacy they left behind. To that end, we at the James are working with local educators and interested groups in Idyllwild to try and establish a summer program at the Reserve for young boys and girls. The basic idea is to develop a week long program that will include daytime instruction in natural history and ecology along with evening sessions devoted to the history of the area. The overall plan is to have students start when they are 9 or 10 years old and come back each summer for three years, providing the continuity that made Harry’s program so successful. The target groups are students from the local school in Idyllwild, students from more urban areas, and students from local Tribal Lands.
The program is currently in the planning stage and is in need of financial support. If you or your group would be interested in either participating or contributing to this exciting new program for the James, please visit our contributions page or contact personnel of the James.