Who: Teens ages 14 – 18 who seek adventure, skills, and true wildness with amazing people
What: Wild Within is a group of teens who adventure as a tribe one weekend a month to explore our connections to the wildness found in nature, community and self. Each weekend, we intensely live the core routines of nature awareness and do wilderness and community building skills that bring us alive. Teens have the opportunity to participate in our epic end of year rites of passage called Water Quest and Fire Quest.
When: Eight Weekends per year starting Friday at 7 pm and going through Sunday at 3 pm.
Where: Locations are a mix of field trips to amazing places and base camp at Linne Doran, our land in Duvall on the edge. Each year we add new field trip locations.
Calendar: The year is organized into two semesters, Fall and Spring, and we strongly encourage teens to do both. Each weekend has a different theme and each year we include new layers of our curriculum. Here are the current themes and dates…
Fall 2012
- Art of Seeing - Duvall - Sept. 21-23
- Megafauna Trailing - Eastside Canyons - Oct 19-21
- Native Awareness & Fire Making - Duvall - Nov 9-11
- Primitive Living & Surviving Skills - Duvall - Dec 7-9
Spring 2013
- Jungle Law & Art of Invisibility - Duvall - Feb 8-10
- Snow Shelter and Tracking - Cascade Mountains - Mar 8-10
- Big Wandering: Passion & Plants - Eastside Desert - Apr 12-14
- Wildlife Scouting - Duvall - May 3-5
*Please note: Weekend curriculum/location is subject to change based on passion.
Enrollment
Wild Within is a course for ages 14-18. Class size is limited to 14 students with two instructors (see instructor biographies below) and additional volunteers in order to ensure individual attention and mentoring.
Weekends typically start Friday at 7:00pm, and go through Sunday at 3:00pm. Students bring field lunches for Sat. and Sun. and all other meals are included.
Course Registration Details
| Register Now |
Wild Within Spring Session - Ages 14-18 Schedule: February 8 - May 5, 2013 Cost: $675 - Transportation and most materials included Location: Duvall, WA and other Eastern Washington locations |
| Register Now |
Wild Within Fall Session - Ages 14-18 Schedule: September 21 - December 9, 2012 Cost: $675 - Transportation and most materials included Location: Duvall, WA and other Eastern Washington locations |
Tuition & Scholarships
Fall or Spring Session: Tuition is $675
Non-refundable Deposit: $200, due upon registration. Remainder due Sept 1 (Fall Session), or Feb. 1 (Spring Session)
Scholarships:
If you require tuition assistance, we invite you to download a Scholarship Application in PDF format, complete it and mail it in.
The non-refundable registration deposit is required to hold the place of all registrants, regardless of scholarship status. If, within two weeks of scholarship notification, scholarship applicants decide not to commit to the course, we will refund your deposit in full. (This is the only situation where the deposit is refundable.)
Our Educational Philosophy
At the core of our approach to educating young people is our concept of "Passion-based learning." This is the idea that every one of us has special gifts to bring to the world, things that spark our passions in life.
Our school's fundamental goal is to awaken this spirit in our students, and to help them identify and pursue their gifts. We believe that the most effective learning happens when young people are pursuing what they love, and so truly desire to learn.
Equally important is our philosophy that the most effective learning happens when students figure things out "on their own."
In their efforts to do this, they are individually guided by mentors who strive to create experiences and opportunities for students to discover their own answers.
We call this method Coyote Mentoring, a technique that encourages creative thinking rather than providing answers, and results in much deeper learning. It also stimulates the growth of problem-solving skills, and stretches the students into greater self-sufficiency in their living and learning
Meet Your Instructors
Richie Rivera-Booth
Richie was born and raised in Yelm, WA. Spending his summers camping in Weyerhauser with his dad he developed a deep love for the forest. Working with youth at Camp Cispus during high school and college he realized his passion for working with kids. He has dedicated his life to reconnecting with nature, community and self. He is also deeply committed to helping both kids and adults to find their passions by sharing his with them.
Since coming to the school in 2007 he has completed the Residential Program, the Apprenticeship Program, the Tracking Intensive, and a number of other programs. He has instructed at the summer camps for 6 years, and is excited to be starting his 2nd year as year round staff.
Things that keep Richie active are going out trailing animals, learning more about bird language, making his own sour dough, deer bone broth, kombucha, yogurt, and other kitchen projects, making moccasins, spending time with friends, family, and his new beautiful wife Natalie.
Merilee Wilmore
Merilee is a Seattle native who graduated from Seattle Pacific University with a degree in Psychology before following a career in pediatric mental health. In 2008 Merilee came to Wilderness Awareness School to attend the Anake Outdoor School and then apprenticed for the same program the following year through our Outdoor Leadership Program. She has since worked for our Monthly Programs and been a Core Instructor at Community School before taking on her current lead role. Merilee also loves working for our summer programs such as Idaho Wolf Tracking and the Walkabout Expedition. Favorite subjects to bring to the program are: bone work, wild crafting and primitive cooking as well as tracking and wandering. When she is not enjoying her time with the teens, Merilee is really brought alive by time spent painting and swimming, wild crafting, fishing and cooking. She lives in Seattle with her husband and Australian Blue Heeler.
