A Classroom on the Tallest Peak of New England By Brian Fitzgerald Eighth grade students from Whitefield, NH visit the summit of Mount Washington in late May. Beginning this spring, Mount Washington Observatory (MWOBS) staff have been rolling out an expanded suite of school-based programs throughout the region, thanks in part to a bequest from the Sheldon Family Estate. The gift allows the Observatory to develop and assess K-12 educational programs based on needs and interests expressed by teachers, administrators, students, and families. During conversations with these groups, the need for experiential, hands-on learning was a common refrain.