WildWise - A School of Outdoor Adventure!

"My son has attended WildWise for several years now, both in their NatureQuest program, their full time Forest School and their Spring/Summer Camps. When I first enrolled our oldest son in WildWise, I was only hoping for a program that would allow him the freedom to explore and be curious about the world around him. What he has received, has been so much more in the best way possible. We have watched our son absolutely blossom under the mentoring of the WildWise staff. They’ve nurtured his confidence through knowing when to push him gently past his comfort zone, while having compassion for when he truly wasn’t ready to try something new. WildWise has taught him awareness and kindness and respect for himself, his fellow humans and the entirety of the natural world around him. They’ve held space for him on really difficult days, and encouraged him to try again when something didn’t work the first time. They've taught him failure isn't something to be afraid of but rather something to learn from. He's learning academics and life skills - for example his 1st grade teacher Melissa, carries a pocket watch around specifically as a tool to teach kids the time. He's learned ethical foraging, fractions through baking bread, mythology and lore, tool use and safety and so much more. As a parent, I have felt so supported in knowing that the mentors at WildWise genuinely care about my son and our family. We have found a community at Wildwise that feels like a second home, and all I’ve learned from our time enrolled there has allowed me to more compassionate, curious, and confident too. I will forever be grateful to WildWise for all that they’ve done for us."

"Wildwise has been my home for the past 10 years, it has taught me integrity and responsibility, it strives to teach through connection and unique teaching techniques. It provides students and families with community and makes everyone feel like they belong, going to school there was an incredible experience that I will carry with me for the rest of my life, it still allowed me to grow in my academics, and keep the playful aspect of being a kid, most schools aren’t like that. Academics are incredible they strive to meet every student where they are at, I fell incredibly behind during sixth grade but when I went to forest school it caught me up and now I am enrolled in pre-AP classes and on a collage bound path. I still attend the weekly teen group which provides an Amazing sense of connection with teens who actually want to still play. This is a truly unique program and I am so happy to be apart of it. There is so much more I want to say, but I will sum it up with saying one of the best parts is that even when you age out of programs wildwise still offers opportunities such as apprenticing which allows you to learn further responsibilities while still enjoying the program, and training to become a mentor. Overall this place is a 10/10 definitely recommend"

"I wish that I could say we loved it. We were so excited about the summer camp, but then the director was giving ultimatums to our son and ended up yelling at me on the phone about how she has 15 years of experience when I suggested a place she could get more information re: her words to describe a 7 year old as "defiant". I guess she knows everything already and doesn't need to learn anything new. We received a response from the executive director who offered to meet but then he did not even follow up. It sends a message that we just don't matter to them."