THE CROW CANYON ARCHAEOLOGICAL CENTER developed because Dr. Edward Berger and his wife, Joanne, prominent Colorado educators who believed people learn best through hands-on experience and individual reflection, began a small "supplemental school" in Montezuma County. By 1974, the Crow Canyon School had grown and more space was required. A quiet and beautiful parcel of land was purchased on the outskirts of the town of Cortez. The program that developed included field programs in which students worked alongside professional archaeologists, although the school did not have a research program of its own at that time. Operations were conducted out of trailers, and participants lived in tents and tipis down in the meadow—a colorful, peaceful, and auspicious beginning.