Benefits of Wilderness Awareness Camps

We have built a reputation for delivering the best nature and survival skills Summer Camp experience anywhere. We often hear students tell us that they learned more in one week at our camp than they ever have before! Students at Wilderness Awareness Camps learn valuable skills that continue to impact their lives - long after camp is over.

We work hard each year to raise the bar in regards to safety, our amazing staff and fun! The quality of our camps comes from our focus on the experience of your child - and we are always improving this already high standard. Please read below to hear more about how we aim to exceed expectations of kids and parents at every one of our camps!

Year-round commitment to nature connection

We play a vital role in nurturing and facilitating growth in children and teens. Our commitment to giving a great nature experience to youth is a year-round mission for us. While most other camps are taking a break at the end of the summer, we continue to train our staff and volunteers throughout the year, engaging kids all over the Puget Sound area in programs that allow summer nature adventures never to end!

Inspirational Role Models: Our Instructors

Our camps are led by experienced, uniquely trained adults, supported by an amazing corps of volunteers. Though we certainly could save a lot of money by placing Counselors in Training (CITs) as leaders, we choose to hold to a high standard of quality. We hire only experienced adult staff, thoroughly grounded in both wilderness and community-building skills. They make learning fun!

We can state with certainty that our staff is uniquely qualified. Most lead Summer Camp staff have been through our intensive year-long nature and survival course known as the Anake Outdoor School. Many of those same folks continue with a second year in our Anake Leadership Program. Most work summers with us for a number of years. Meet the Wilderness Awareness Camp Staff.

Increased Self-Confidence

Our camps allow students to gain a sense of empowerment and self-confidence. They learn to articulate their creativity in innovative ways, applying new knowledge and skills. Students spend their summer learning and having fun! Many discover that their experiences at camp naturally extend into their neighborhood friendships, as they become teachers for their peers.

But don't just take our word for it - check out our Testimonials!

Wild Locations

With parks or locations in or near Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Issaquah, Redmond and Olympia, in addition to out-of-state locations such as Idaho, we strive to select places that feel like true wilderness, and are also as close to home as possible. We provide wild experiences that are convenient to access for families in the Seattle area. That way, the camp location can become a place for the whole family to continue visit and enjoy throughout the year.

Unique Teaching Methodology

We use our unique "Coyote Mentoring" techniques both to train our staff and to bring these powerful experiences to our students, blending modern and ancient ways of connecting with nature and promoting community. Students learn and share experiences with a small group of kids, while still receiving much individualized instruction.

We have raised the standard for learning through creating extremely small course "clusters," averaging only 9-11 students per paid staff, supported by additional volunteers. Because of this tight ratio, each instructor can personalize and customize our curriculum to the skill level of each student. This enables students to learn at their own pace. All courses emphasize in-depth, experience-based learning, which means from the moment a student enters our camp the experience is hands-on. We challenge and guide our students, encouraging them to take healthy risks that they are ready for.

Plastic-Free Freebies

Our campers receive a free earth-toned T-shirt, a fun nature field guide and a pocket notebook. All three are essential to blending in with the environment and furthering their learning experience while they are with us.

We Have Kids Too!

Both our Summer Camp Director and Program Director have young families. We ask ourselves everyday, "Would we send our own kids to Wilderness Awareness Camps?" (We do!). With this personal perspective, our camps take on a whole different meaning. Contact our Summer Camp Director.

Non-Profit Organization

The same mission-based nonprofit organization that started Wilderness Awareness Camps is still running it today, 27 years later. We are committed to every child having an opportunity to connect and learn about nature, and our Summer Camps are a huge way in which we do this every year.

On-the-Ground

Our successful staff selection is our bread-and-butter. We have a year-round Summer Camp Director who hires the best staff available. Each Individual Camp Coordinator oversees only one camp per week of the summer. Our Camp Coordinators have all been Camp Instructors at Wilderness Awareness Camps, so they know exactly what is needed to run a great week of camp! We are extremely proud of the high level of quality control and organization that we have developed.

Training

Both new and returning employees are required to personally participate in pre-camp training sessions. The well-being of Wilderness Awareness Campers and staff is worth going the extra mile.

Additional Safety Precautions

  • Wilderness Awareness School has an emergency and medical response plan in place
    specific to each location
  • The Summer Camp Director is certified as a Wilderness First Responder
  • Each summer camp has a Camp Coordinator AND instructors who are CPR/First Aid Certified
  • Criminal Background Checks are required of ALL staff
  • Sexual Offender Background Checks required of ALL staff
  • Personal AND professional references required of ALL staff

We encourage you to review our courses and locations pages to find a program which best suits your needs, and look forward to seeing you and your family this summer!

Also see:

ParentMap, the award-winning monthly magazine and website, has surveyed its readers on the best businesses and resources for kids and families in Puget Sound. Our camps were voted best in three categories and we were awarded a 2011 Golden Teddy!

Our Great Locations

Read more about Summer Camp Locations near you and use the map below to find driving directions.

Our Philosophy

What do you remember about nature from your childhood?

What do you remember about nature from your childhood?

Likely it's about a special place that you would go and share with friends - making forts, climbing trees and more - all while getting muddy and wet, in all kinds of weather.

We bring these kinds of adventures to kids today, along with instructors who know a lot about nature and use great skill in reconnecting kids with the wonder of the world around them. We do this through stories, hands-on skills like fire-making, responsible introduction of wild edible plants and their poisonous look-alikes, as well as things most adults don't even know like the arts of wildlife tracking and bird language interpretation.

All of these skills are doorways into exploration of nature, and ultimately ourselves. The same confidence that kids acquire in learning about the hazards of nature and how to work with them translates into the rest of their lives and how they approach healthy risk-taking and learning in general. We look forward to the day when these kind of nature adventures are happening again spontaneously for kids in neighborhoods everywhere!


Wilderness Awareness School, PO Box 219, PMB 137, Duvall, WA 98019 | 425.788.1301
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