Montana School Opens New Outdoor Recreation Retail Store

The school system in Seeley Lake is working to open up a new retail store called Seeley Lake Elementary Outside. Superintendent Chris Stout said the goal of the project is to bring in revenue for the elementary school and to give high school students experience in the workplace.

"On Saturday we'll launch our outdoor equipment co-op that is run by students and will be completely staffed, managed, stocked and run by high school students and elementary students," said Stout.

The students will be given class credit and are involved in everything from stocking the shelves to making orders with distributors. Because the store will be operated as a co-op, the community will be able to get directly involved too.

"Part of the membership is as a member you have the ability to volunteer in the store, but along with volunteering there are certain perks that come along with that," said Stout. "We will have close to two hundred members by the time we hit summer, or maybe more. We have so many people that are interested in being a part of it and actually coming in and running the store."

SLE Outside may be the first outdoor retailer of its kind. From this Saturday onward, its hours will be nine to five Thursday through Sunday. More information about the project can be found at sleonline.org.