Teen Mentors at Prairiewood Forest School

Let’s develop leadership skills in the wild together!

Teens ages 14-17 are invited to join in, with additional outdoor leadership opportunities, for weekly group adventures through the Wild Wanderers drop-off wilderness program. Each season includes active games, inspiring stories, skill-developing projects, and exciting challenges, all based on the forest school model which embraces both inquiry-based and place-based learning.

New and returning families can apply for the 2024-2025 enrollment lottery HERE.

Details at a Glance:

Spring 2024: twelve Fridays, 2/9/24 - 5/3/24 (no class on break day 3/22), from 11am - 2pm

Fall 2024 : twelve Fridays, 9/13/24 - 12/6/23 (no class on break day 11/29), from 11am - 2pm

who: ages 14-17 (drop-off program)

13 year olds who have already attended a Prairiewood Forest School class may be eligible to join Teen Mentors with approval of a class mentor; contact prairiewood@stfrancisofthewoods.org

where: Prairiewood Forest School at St. Francis of the Woods (a 580 acre non-profit in Coyle, OK with the vision of transforming the world through community, creativity, and care for nature)

cost: $290/student for 12 weekly sessions

Most families pay the Standard Class Fee which is reflective of the program's True Costs; as your financial situation allows, you may elect to instead enroll at Supporter Pricing to contribute to the Scholarship Fund, or Subsidized Pricing if those rates make the class more accessible to your family.

Emergent Curriculum: Prairiewood Forest School programs draw inspiration from educational philosophies including the forest school model, inquiry-based learning, nature-connected mentoring, and place-based education. Mentors model using observation skills and asking questions to deeper our connection to the natural world. Games, wildcraft and wilderness skill challenges, and bushcraft projects are selected based on student interest. Throughout our times together, Teen Mentors help us model practices that reflect our values of kindness, caring for the land with reciprocity and giving more than we take, and learning directly from the natural world as our teacher, with an emphasis on noticing and experiencing our surroundings. Please email prairiewood@stfrancisofthewoods.org if you have any questions!

handbook: Please read our program Handbook (linked during enrollment) in its entirety. To hold your spot, you'll need to complete the waiver below the Handbook BEFORE submitting your payment.