School Programs

In 2002, when Lacey was eight years old and in the third grade, her teacher introduced the class to the Iditaread program. Students picked an Iditarod musher and read page for mile (over 1,049 pages!) against their chosen musher on the race to Nome. Lacey picked Jeff King and through hard work read her way to the finish line 40 minutes before Jeff who finished that year in 9 days, 10 hours, and 39 minutes. That experience started a passion for sled dogs. She was eight years old and had dreams of running the Iditarod with her own dog team.

It was about six months later that Lacey found a tour kennel going out of business. Lacey talked her parents into driving over and looking at the dogs and a week later a truck arrived at their home with 17 dogs, complete with sleds, houses, chains, and feed dishes- everything Lacey needed to get started.  Lacey had just turned 9 years old and was now responsible for a kennel of 17 dogs. It was her sole responsibility to care for, feed and train her dog team.

Lacey has done an excellent job of developing her racing kennel and has run many races with her dogs. In 2009 she placed 15th in her first Jr. Iditarod (a race of 150 miles in the Alaska wilderness for teens 14 to 18 years old) and was awarded the Humanitarian Award for doing the best job of caring for her dogs. This accolade came with a $1,000 scholarship but, more importantly it was the realization of a dream and a goal. A goal she held onto and worked very hard towards for seven years.

Lacey is also a young author. She competes every year in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month- a challenge to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days) and she is currently finishing the editing of her book “Dog Girl”. This is her mushing story of challenges, heart break, and finally success at age 15, when she finished the grueling Junior Iditarod.

Lacey has made presentations to civic organizations such as Rotary and Kiwanis, churches, municipalities and schools. The Youth Empowerment School Assembly Program is a complete program for schools that includes challenges for students to participate in activities such as the Iditaread and NaNoWriMo. Lacey also encourages student to challenge themselves with such lofty ideas as running a major sled dog race in Alaska or whatever their passion may be. Lacey incorporates an entire multimedia presentation that uses a PowerPoint presentation, movies, show and tell, demonstration of the equipment used for mushing, the clothing required to withstand the extreme cold while on the trail and the problems that she has surmounted in the development of her small 30 dog kennel

In developing a program for these presentations we have met with great success, and repeated invites for additional programs. The fee for a single assembly is $499.00 or she can do two for $699.00 as long as they are the same day. There is also a full day option that could include up to four assemblies and/or some classroom programs. The assemblies are 45-60 minutes in length, including a question and answer section.

Please feel free to contact us at 1-406-223-9733 with any questions you may have!

Note: a projector is required for Lacey’s power point and video presentations.

Lacey is available to do school presentations throughout the US, with minimal additional travel expenses.

What’s being said about Lacey’s school program?

“It was fun! My class really enjoyed it. I listened to them talking about their goals as I went around signing planners. Thanks!” Ms. Julian, 5th grade”

“My daughter was so excited by the presentation. Money well spent!” Lisa, PTA mom

“What an amazing young woman! My kids and I had fun.” Mrs. Peruis, 1st Grade teacher

“Great presentation today, Lacey is an impressive & remarkable young woman!”
Abbey, Classroom volunteer and mom

“It was fascinating.” Clare, 3rd Grade Student

“I learned so many things I didn’t know.” Cody, 4th grade Student

“Mrs. Busch, Mrs. Busch, I want to be a musher!” Paul, 1st grade

“You have made me the most popular teacher in the building…” Mrs. Busch