Ravenwood Outdoor Learning Center

This weekly summer program gives kids ages 6 to 12 a chance to explore the mysteries of nature with the guidance of our experienced staff of mentors. We start each day by sharing gratitude, hearing inspiring stories, moving our bodies, singing, free play and then setting out for a day of fun and adventure! From exploring a nearby stream bank to building viable shelters and learning a wide range of ancestral skills, Wilderness Kids come home tired, happy, and filled with the inspiration only a good day in the woods can provide!

Teen Camp takes skills and personal development to the next level with a mixture of adventure, challenge, skills, and personal mentoring. This back country experience immerses teens in nature connection mentoring, social-emotional learning opportunities, skill development, and meaningful challenges and reflection processes designed to support their active transition into adulthood while nurturing an expanding awareness of self and service to others.

Personalized training and a new role as “Mentor in Training (MIT) during youth programs gives longtime Ravenwood pre-teens and teens an opportunity to share all that they have learned and move deeper into their own journey of self discovery through this empowering program supported by Ravenwood core staff members.

North Valley Music School and Ravenwood team up each summer to offer this incredible camp! Built on the routines of nature connection Ravenwood is known for, we infuse high level music instruction into our focused skill time each day. Creativity abounds and the birds aren't the only ones making songs out in the woods at Ravenwood each summer!

Ripples engages teens who wants to wholeheartedly apply their love of and appreciation for nature to learning and developing outdoor skills within a welcoming community. Participants are supported to embrace their own sense of self during this time of major transition and growth. We need to be there for each other to create this welcoming and inclusive experience, so it is essential that all participants are willing to develop an open and curious mind.

Participants will:
Learn and share outdoor/wilderness skills at an introductory to intermediate level;
Cultivate a group learning experience that emphasizes listening to each other and curiosity;
Learn about how to be comfortable and confident in nature;
Develop a supportive community that is welcoming and inclusive;
Get the chance to learn about ourselves by learning about nature.

This program provides hands-on experience of the universal arts, crafts and skills shared by all ancient human ancestors. We teach the basics of making art from natural raw materials, the crafts our ancestors used to make beautiful objects for everyday use, the awareness to decode the patterns of nature, and the skills of using the most ancient technology to make that most basic of human tools, fire. Variations on these skills, crafts and tools are commonly represented in many archaeological sites all over the world, so are not tied to any specific ancestral lineage. Every human alive to day has ancestors who, at one time or another, used these skills to survive, so we teach these skills in the context of gratitude for all our ancestors.

If your school has a nearby nature spot we can come to you. Bring your class out to romp in the woods with Ravenwood!

We offer full-day and half-day programs in nature, with two Ravenwood instructors per 16 students. We require teacher participation and support and encourage other adult volunteers, with a goal of a student-to-adult ratio of 5:1. We will plan an opening circle, active games, focused skill building activities, songs, stories, and a closing circle. Our content and themes can be tailored to your curriculum. Some content options include local natural history, survival skills, ancestral arts and crafts, active games in nature, and awareness activities.

Wild Homeschool is a day nature program for homeschoolers. We meet every other Wednesday through the Fall and Spring seasons to connect with our beautiful natural environment, connect with our community of friends and neighbors, and learn about ourselves. We practice naturalist and survival skills to better know know our world, our community, and ourselves.

Our days change with the seasons but we do have some traditions! We always start by giving gratitude to something that makes our lives better, and we often light a campfire to symbolize the warm center of our community. Sometimes we have survival skills challenges, and sometimes we make nature-based crafts. Most days we take some time for storytelling and songs around the campfire. We always take time to explore the little miracles that nature gives us, whether they are a new kind of bug, a beautiful wildflower, delicious wild plants for tea, or tracks in freshly-fallen snow.