Wilderness Skills Instructor & Forest Teacher - Program Details

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At a Glance

When Tues, Wed, Thurs with extended overnight weeks (September - May, 33 weeks total)
Visits To schedule a class visit or attend our info nights Contact Us.
Tuition $100 deposit with 10-monthly payments of $985 (total $9,950)—See below for additional discounts
Financial Aid Scholarships awards are available on a need basis—Contact Us for information.
Location Trackers Earth’s many forest campuses
Housing Limited local and on-site housing is available (separate from tuition)


Program Details

Duration
September 10, 2018 - May 18, 2019, with breaks Thanksgiving, Winter Break, and Spring Break.

Field Days & Overnights
Weekly training days every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM. Field days offer hands-on projects and team-based expeditions. The program also has overnight camping and field trips.

Thursday Skills Evenings
You also attend our evening Wilderness Skills Club and our Open Archery Range (every Thursday, Friday, Saturday).

Field Practicum
Practicum and Observational Filed Days can occur outside of regular class days and are scheduled with your instructor. Ride-along with Trackers Earth programs with a primary focus on the age group and content of your choice. From that time, you write sample curriculums and schedules based on your course learning and field experience. We share this working program development as a class cohort, with all students participating in feedback to further develop your educational toolkit. We recommend at least one Practicum and Observational Field Day a seasonal term—students are welcome to schedule more. Since every student will observe at least one youth program, background checks are a prerequisite for before starting field practicums.

Overnight Camping & Seasonal Expeditions
8 weeks of the program are overnight camping at our forest campus or on traveling expeditions. Expeditions are a huge part of the program and occur throughout the year. Your first week will be an overnight at Camp Trackers, our 90-acre site out in Sandy, Oregon. Our final expedition is a rite of passage, testing your skills and kit in a week-long Wilderness Survival Expedition. Key expeditions include:

  • Tracking at the Oregon Dunes
  • Coastal Foraging along the Oregon Coast
  • Shelter Building at the Bull Run Educational Center
  • Stone Tools in the high desert of Eastern Oregon
  • Outdoor Education & Forest School West Coast tour
  • Three additional overnight trips that vary from year-to-year
Overnights average between 3 - 7 days. The West Coast tour is 10-days total (may be split into 2 shorter segments). To assist students in accommodating personal and work schedules, the overnight itinerary is available 3-months before program start.

Location
Many field days take place at one of our two wilderness locations in Sandy, Oregon: Camp Trackers, 80-acres on the edge of the Bull Run Wilderness and the 91-acre Bull Run Education Center. Other Field days include excursions to other sites for harvesting and expeditions.

Housing
As of Fall 2018 limited on-site and local housing (cost is separate from tuition) will be available in Sandy, Oregon—contact us for details.

If you choose to live in Portland, there are many excellent opportunities for individual or group housing in the Trackers Community. Upon registration, we connect you with online forums within the Trackers community where you can inquire about potential housing opportunities with fellow students or other community members.

Tuition Options
We offer several payment options to meet student financial requirements. Limited scholarship awards are also available on an application and need basis.

  • Option 1 - Payment Plan $100 deposit with 10-monthly payments of $985 (total $9,950).
  • Option 2 - Pay in Full Total of $9,450 due by Sept 1 (save $500).
  • Early Registration Savings Register by March 31 for a $500 tuition discount.
  • Financial Aid Options Limited Scholarships awards are available. Contact us for information.

Instructors
Mentors include core educators at Trackers Earth. Through specialized field days and development days, you also get access to the entire community of wilderness skills teachers at Trackers Earth. Guest instructors come in to teach throughout the year.

Visits
Visit our weekend Wilderness Survival Immersion. Contact Us for an appointment.

Potential Employment
This program is not a requirement of employment nor does it guarantee a job with Trackers. Employment with Trackers Earth is a separate application process. Most people begin with us in summer camp educator positions and a few from this seasonal staff may continue with us year-round. There are 13 students in a cohort, and throughout the year we have very limited positions available. In this program, we teach all the skills that we look for in an outdoor educator and how each student applies those skills is ultimately up to them. To learn more about available positions and how to apply visit our employment page.


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