Wilderness Awareness School, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization founded in 1983, is an internationally-recognized leader in outdoor education. Our mission is to help children and adults cultivate healthy relationships with nature, community, and self. We are based in Duvall in the foothills of the Cascade mountains about 45-minutes outside of Seattle, WA. We offer programs year round to kids and adults of all ages.
• We just launched our first Queer only program called Primal Pride. https://wildernessawareness.org/adult/primal-pride-queer-nature-connection/
• We have several queer folks on our staff and our flagship program called The Immersion has about 30% queer/LGBTQ+ student this year.
• We have all gender bathrooms but our campus is not fully accessible due to the nature of our outdoor programing. We do our best to accommodate folks if possible.
Our Core Values
Leading with Appreciation
We aim to begin all interactions by sharing our appreciation for each other and the world around us. By acknowledging all we are grateful for, we cultivate peace and unity within ourselves and our communities, and foster the compassion and inspiration to powerfully enact our mission.
Empowering through Mentoring
Through asking skillful questions and following curiosity, we empower our students and each other to become lifelong learners. Nature-based mentoring awakens health and vitality, nurtures personal gifts and talents, and cultivates devoted stewards and compassionate leaders.
Cultivating Inclusion
We are committed to establishing a culture that recognizes difference, invites diverse perspectives, and acknowledges past and present inequities. We strive to cultivate an increasingly welcoming space, so that all may feel empowered to show up as their authentic selves.
Tending Relationships
We encourage deep nature connection, humble service to community, and living in rhythm with natural cycles. When we honor our vital interdependence, we nurture the sense of belonging that comes from the understanding that we are all part of one web, one ecosystem, one whole.
