Frequently Asked Questions About Programs at
Wilderness Skills Institute LLC
These pages summarize information that is presented in more detail (and with pictures!) elsewhere on the web site. We hope you will explore some of the links provided here for more detail on specific topics.
What is Cultural Mentoring, 8 Shields Mentoring, or Coyote Mentoring?
These terms are all synonymous for the skills, training, attributes, archetypes, and routines that we use to guide our participants to learn and grow. These were derived from elders and mentors from indigenous and non-indigenous communities worldwide. All of our staff has extensive training and commitment to learn and apply these practices. More information can be found in Coyote’s Guide to Mentoring and the 8 Shields Institute.
How much does it cost and how do I reserve a place for my child?
Current fees are on the registration application for each program. You must pay in full to reserve a spot in our programs. If you have other questions please contact Toni.
What is the total enrollment of the camp?
We generally limit the total enrollment to 6, 12, 18, and 24 students depending on the program the student is enrolled in.
What is the student-to-staff ratio?
For most activities, there are no more than 6 students to one adult staff person. For safety and optimum instruction, some activities are taught 1 to 2.
Can parents come to our facility?
We have family camps that parents can come and experience camp with their children; we also have open houses for you to come and meet with the staff and check out the land. We do ask that touring our youth programs that parents give their children the full potential to connect with nature without the influence of their parents overseeing what the kids are doing.
Can I shadow a staff person?
Yes, but only as part of one of our approved mentoring training programs. All individuals in these shadowing roles must also be fingerprinted and have a background check prior to having contact with children.
My child is only 6; can I be with my child until she (he) is comfortable with the staff?
If you feel that your child needs you to be there then you are not ready for our program. We work with children as young as 2 without the parents being with the children, and the children love it.
My child is only 6, and 6 hours is too long for him/her can I pick up at noon? Or Can I pick up my child early for soccer or a dentist appointment?
Having a staff member hike down the hill with all of the kids in their group is difficult and disruptive, as well as to all of the other kids in their group. Our staff is better used teaching their group of children. Please do not ask; the answer will be no.
Can parents volunteer so they can be with their children?
We welcome applications for volunteer staff. Please fill out a staff application and mark it as volunteer. However volunteers will work behind the scenes doing work that needs to be done but not working with the students. All of our mentoring staff has gone through extensive training in cultural mentoring outside of Wilderness Skills Institute and with our own staff. We do not teach but we mentor by modeling, questioning, and more. All staff volunteers are fingerprinted as well as have a background check completed.
Can parents visit our programs?
We regret that we cannot accommodate visitors to our programs; however, we do provide family camps and open houses throughout the year.
Are you accredited?
We are pursuing American Camp Association accreditation. We have been running quality programs since 2003and accredited programs from 2009. We have moved our program to a new location and therefore must again go through the process for the new location. We are happy to connect you with families who have been with us for years. We follow the standards set by the American Camping Association.
We have started the process for our accreditation and plan on having it complete summer of 2013. Under the direction of Brian, Devils Gulch Ranch Camp which he co-founded in 2003 received its accreditation in 2009. Because of Brian's work Devil's Gulch Ranch Camp was recognized as an affiliated program practicing Coyote Mentoring and Nature Connecting. The accreditation of Wilderness Skills Institute should be a smooth process. Toni and Brian as part of their graduate degrees are currently incorporating the 8 Shields Mentoring, Peace Marker Principles, and the Core Routines of Nature Connecting in to the accreditation standards. This is proving to be a very rewarding process, Check back for more details.
What medical staff is available?
Our staff is first aid/CPR trained or Wilderness First Responder certified and current.
Are there accommodations for special needs students?
We will do what we can, and in the past have accommodated a wide range of needs. Decisions as to whether we can make arrangements for a given participant are made on an individual basis.
Will lunches be provided for day programs?
Day campers must bring lunches from home. No lunch is provided for day participants. Because lunches and snacks from home are not refrigerated, please send sack lunches and snacks that are nonperishable! Please send a water canteen. We provide additional water when needed.
What is a typical day like at Beginning Nature Day Camps?
When the kids arrive games have already started, when everyone is here we have a check in, then give thanks, hear announcements, then the kids will do some sort of a wander and have some alone time to connect with nature. When the time is right we may gather to have some kind of nature group games, then students break into activity; whatever activity they want to participate in, some collaborations with other participants, some are staff lead, some the participant will work independently. They can work as long as they want at any given activity. They eat when they feel hungry. There is a timelessness, the only concern for time is the staff getting the kids back to their folks on time. Every day the kids are surprised and disappointed it is time to go home.
How much choice do participants have about activities?
The staff plan the week based on what is happening in nature and where the participants are in their own journey. It is a rich learning environment with many activities happening at any given time that the participants can move through freely.
Do you provide transportation?
Parents who would like to share their contact information with others to arrange carpooling are invited to do so on the registration form.
What are the drop-off and pickup times and location?
Regular drop-off is 9 a.m.; regular pickup is 3 p.m. for our homeschool programs. Our camps are all different, please contact us for specific details.
Are there any discounts?
New participants pay the new participant rate for their very first week for any of our summer camp programs. After this, any subsequent camp sessions receive a “returning sessions” discount. Discounts also are available for early camp registration. Call for sibling discounts.
Are there scholarships available?
We have nonprofit cooperation that will take donations for our scholarship fund. Please email toni@wildernessSkillsInstitute.com for more details.
Can you accept donations?
We have nonprofit cooperation that will take donations for our scholarship fund, staff training, and items we need to run or build our programs. Please email toni@wildernessSkillsInstitute.com for more details.
What is your refund policy?
A refund minus a $25 processing fee will be given on cancellations requested at least four weeks prior to the starting date of the session being cancelled. 50% refunds will be given on cancellations requested at least one week prior to the starting date of the session being cancelled. If you wish to cancel a session less than one week prior to its starting date, no refund will be given.
If you request to change session dates at least four weeks prior to the starting date of the session for which your child is enrolled, the change will be made at no charge, provided space is available in the session you wish to add. If you request to switch sessions later than four weeks prior to the starting time of the original session, a $25 fee will be charged.
Bullying of participants, cruelty to any animals, or failure to follow rules or instructions will terminate the child’s session. In such cases, the parent is responsible for immediately picking up the child and no refund will be given.
How are you funded?
Mainly from tuition and donations.
Is there drinking water?
Yes.
My child came home talking about handling newts, Is the California Newt Poisonous?
The California newt is plentiful in the ponds and streams, and catching these is a favorite activity of the kids. Be aware that the California newt is reported to contain the same toxin that is found in the puffer fish, but at a much smaller concentration. Your child should wash hands after handing these and any other animalsh. However, no child we know has ever become ill from contact with newts. The only cited illness that we can find is of a child that ate the tail of a newt.
Is there poison oak? Should I worry about ticks?
Poison oak is abundant in the forest and adjacent lands and is an important food source for deer and birds, which are not allergic to it as some humans are. Each week, the staff will point out this problematic native to the participants. Young children tend not to be sensitive to poison oak, while teenagers are more likely to break out when exposed. Parents that are sensitive can get the rash from contact with their child’s clothing (keep this in mind when your child runs to give you a hug after an adventurous day in the forest!) It is advisable that your children have long pants and shirts available for hikes and that the clothing be washed as soon as possible after returning home. The rash may be slight, requiring little or no attention, but in severe cases it can require medical treatment.
Ticks may be present in the forest. You should check your child each night for ticks, not forgetting to look at ankles, behind the ears, and in armpits and crotch areas. If you find a tick that has attached itself to your child or yourself see: Ticks. If a fever or a bulls-eye rash develops within a few days of exposure, seek medical attention.
What is the background of the staff?
See our About Us page.
Are there employment opportunities for youth at Wilderness Skills Institute?
Our Fire Tending program is for youth from age 16 to 20 that are willing and able to accept responsibility to work for a portion of their camp fees reduced. To be paid an employee must be 18 years of age. Contact the Toni for details and applications. |
