Happy little girl

Developing Self-Reliance and Confidence

We joined the Wilderness Awareness School 7 years ago. We stumbled upon this gem when we moved to the Pacific Northwest and I was looking for an engaging “activity” for my daughter. At the time, Emily was 4 years old and she entered the Roots and Wings Program. We were impressed by the school’s focus […]

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Morgan backpacking

Finding Home

The first rays of light glow through the trees; ferns and vine maples dripping with the memory of rain from the night. Silence gives way to birdsong, joyous, and free, a celebration that the light again returned. Part of me wants to sing with them, to celebrate as they do. The tree frogs’ croak quieted […]

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Gwen at summer camp

Coming Alive

How do you express the beautiful impact this school has on a child and our families? It’s hard to express in words. Our journey all began a while back when I went through 2 years of Community School (our teen once-a-week program). This program forever changed my life and left a lasting impression on me. […]

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The Barefoot Boy

“Community school is the place where we can be ourselves — without the masks we wear in our everyday lives,” my son Webster said in his student address at the recent Wilderness Awareness School Community School auction. But how does one come to know one’s self? I believe that, for Webster, it has come from consistent […]

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Wilderness Awareness School