Portland Home School Outdoors Program

Does your child get outside and into Nature each day?
Do they do more than sit inside and play with Legos?
Can they engage their creativity with truly fun and adventurous skills such as woodworking and theater arts?

It's time to empower kids to learn and grow. It's time to be outside...

The Trackers Home School Outdoors Program is one to three days a week of nature exploration and artisan crafts. Your child discovers a fantastic world of ancient skills and arts. They spend time out of doors, while working together to learn about nature, art and the power of community.

Home School Nature and Art Program

The day begins with students freely choosing to join in a Guild activity until their parents pick them up. Whether they are a Ranger, Wilder, Artisan or Mariner, our curriculum of nature skills and traditional crafts provide the most well rounded experience of any home school program.

The guild activities are offered by experts in their field. On one day a child may choose to go fishing with a Mariner or work with an Artisan craftsman to build their own woodworking project. The next day they could join the Rangers Guild to create a shelter or learn to felt wool with the Wilders Guild as they make their own hat. See below for examples of a Typical Schedule and Guild Activities

Cabin Homesteading Mondays While every other day runs for 12-weeks, our Monday sessions run 10-weeks and takes place at the Trackers Homestead in Sandy, Oregon. Because we shuttle kids to our 90-acre wildlife refuge we extend the day to 9am-4pm. The extra time is well worth it. At the Trackers Homestead students can milk goats, tend to chickens, track elk and even practice real archery.

Age Groups Because Guild activities are mostly free choice and a collaboration with instructors, age-appropriate groups naturally occur. We believe this is more relevant than a forced definition of age and that the power of multi-generational learning is vital to healthy community. Though in certain key activities we may seperate our age groups as follows: 6 years old, 7-8 years old, 9-10 years old or 11-13 years old.

Bonus Trial Days Trackers wants your child to experience our program so your family can decide if it's the best fit for them. Begin with a 1-day trial. We are currently offering 4 different days of trials September 13, 14, 15 or 16. Simply register at the link below. If you register for a trial day, you must still pay full price for the session. If you register for the entire session, than the trial day is included.

3-Day Registration Save up to $280 if you register for Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at the Scout Pit (Cabin Homesteading days not included). Also, for scholarships and sibling discounts Contact Us.

Scholarships

We have scholarship awards available of up to 10%-50% of tuition for families in need. Due to limited funds of awards we recommend you apply early to increase your family's chances of acceptance. Submit a scholarship application

Sample Week

MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY
Guild Activities Stealth Adventure Cheese Making Improv Games Program Collaboration Students discuss future activities with staff	Guild Activities Fishing Woodworking Dying wool Program Collaboration Students discuss future activities with staff	Guild Activities Apple Pressing Canoe Building Tracking Otters Program Collaboration Students discuss future activities with staff

Typical Day

9am-9:15pm Drop-Off

9:15pm-1:15pm Guild Activities Our instructors introduce the Guild activities for the day. Children can choose from a Rangers, Wilders, Artisans or Mariners craft or adventure. Since this is Trackers we always have an option that goes out of doors (come rain or shine) while indoor choices are also provided for the comfort and interest of the student. The free choice inherent in the Guild activities empowers students to work within their comfort level and inspiration. Check out our Guild Activity Descriptions or look at a Sample Week.

1:15pm-1:30pm Program Collaboration Students and instructors discuss what activities and learning experiences they would like to see in the future. Instructors offer possibilities while students collaborate with them to create the schedule. Everyone, both staff and kids, come up with new ideas to include in the curriculum.

1:30pm-2pm Parent Pick-Up

Potential Guild Activities

Rangers Guild The Rangers Guild are scouts of the forest. Kids train stealth, tracking and wilderness survival skills. If you ever loved the books My Side of the Mountain or Lord of the Rings, the Rangers Guild is where you want to be. Rangers may build a shelter, learn to carve wood, safely make fire with no matches, craft simple bows or train outdoor fitness arts through fun stealth games. Rangers are also master naturalists. They know the language and sign of all birds, beasts and plants that live in the wild.

Wilders Guild Named in honor of Laura Ingalls Wilder, the Wilders Guild offers homesteading activities. Your child could make cheese from farm fresh goats milk to bring home or press apples in the cider press while dancing to fine fiddle music. You may find your young Wilder starting seedlings for planting in family gardens or even working on fiber arts projects, learning to spin, knit and sew their own clothing.

Artisans Guild The Artisans Guild encompasses a diverse range of craft and skills. They are storytellers and crafts people. Instructors trained in the dramatic arts teach theater improv games that build creativity and teamwork. Artisans also offer incredible crafts, from safe and successful metal working projects for younger kids to more challenging blacksmithing techniques for older students. Every week we offer free choice woodworking projects. Plus, children have the opportunity to express their own story through painting and other art media.

Mariners Guild The Mariners Guild trains the skills of the water and sea. Mariners may research ocean life and create aquariums and terrariums to learn about aquatic creatures. They could tie knots and even partake in artistic knot work. Kids may even get an opportunity to help out building a canoe or other traditional skin on frame boat in the wood shop. Most importantly, the Mariners Guild goes fishing! While they may not guarantee a catch, kids will always have a good time sitting by the shore and casting. With the Mariners Guild you can always count on them to come home with a tall tale about the "big one that got away."

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