School year Programs
WILD TENDERS (AGES 7-12)
Mondays and Wednesdays 9am-3pm
Come join our Wild Tenders program, where kids spend their days on the land getting to intimately know the beings that live there, and building deeply meaningful relationships with the natural world, the wild ones, mentors and each other!
For quick links for CHE and Tuition Assistance, go here.
Participants in Wild Tenders get to:
-Learn through play (a method found to require 40 times less repetitions to be effective!): exciting, engaging, physically challenging games, teamwork and cooperative projects (shhhh, they actually don’t realize they’re learning!!)
-Strengthen sensory awareness: building observational skills, noticing detail and spending time in quiet reflection
-Learn about nature and survival skills: plant identification, tracking, bird language, shelter building, fire tending
-Develop curiosity, thoughtfulness and problem-solving: learning through artful questioning and wonder
-Grow strong self-tending and social-emotional skills: understanding and responding to the needs of self and other, building relationships in a supportive environment, being part of a community where thoughts and opinions are respected
-Connect to lineage and learn through metaphor: impactful stories and heartfelt, meaningful songs
….all this, and they think they’re just having fun!
Our approach supports the development of the whole child - body, mind and soul - and though we don’t teach traditional academic subjects, our programs support an excitement about learning, natural curiosity, a growth mindset, and critical thinking and problem solving skills that serve children for a lifetime. Children’s needs and growth are also noted and tracked over time, in order to support them each as unique humans. For more information about our teaching philosophy and our curriculum of naturalist, survival, and awareness skills, visit the About page.
-Learn through play (a method found to require 40 times less repetitions to be effective!): exciting, engaging, physically challenging games, teamwork and cooperative projects (shhhh, they actually don’t realize they’re learning!!)
-Strengthen sensory awareness: building observational skills, noticing detail and spending time in quiet reflection
-Learn about nature and survival skills: plant identification, tracking, bird language, shelter building, fire tending
-Develop curiosity, thoughtfulness and problem-solving: learning through artful questioning and wonder
-Grow strong self-tending and social-emotional skills: understanding and responding to the needs of self and other, building relationships in a supportive environment, being part of a community where thoughts and opinions are respected
-Connect to lineage and learn through metaphor: impactful stories and heartfelt, meaningful songs
….all this, and they think they’re just having fun!
Our approach supports the development of the whole child - body, mind and soul - and though we don’t teach traditional academic subjects, our programs support an excitement about learning, natural curiosity, a growth mindset, and critical thinking and problem solving skills that serve children for a lifetime. Children’s needs and growth are also noted and tracked over time, in order to support them each as unique humans. For more information about our teaching philosophy and our curriculum of naturalist, survival, and awareness skills, visit the About page.
Want to find out more?
Sign up for our info sessions and/or visit day here!
**Please note, there will be no Leaf-Hoppers program for the 26/27 school year**
If you are interested in having your 5-6 year old participate in future offerings, please sign up for our interest list here:
If you are interested in having your 5-6 year old participate in future offerings, please sign up for our interest list here:
program details
Our programs run from September through May, and additionally includes a handful of outside-of-program activities, such as parent education nights and seasonal celebrations. Because of the focus our philosophy has on community -building and mentorship, it is highly important that you mark your calendar and participate in these extra-curricular events. We provide an academic year calendar that will allow you to schedule for these well in advance.
Our program takes place fully outdoors, though we have access to shelter when needed. We operate on private land 10 minutes south of Durango, though there may occasionally be field trips to other wild places in the area.
You may choose to attend either Mondays or Wednesdays, or attend both. Curriculum and activities will be varied enough to support children attending both days. This is a year-long program, running from September to May and require a year-long commitment and a non-refundable $200 deposit upon registration. Please contact us if you have extenuating circumstances or questions about this requirement.
For Wild Tenders, children need to be prepared to be outdoors comfortably from 9am-3pm in a range of weather conditions. Having the right gear and adequate food and hydration makes for resilient kids and fun days, regardless of weather! We will provide more info on what gear you need as the school year approaches. Parents are responsible for providing clothing, food, water and necessary supplies each program day (which may include a journal, knife or fire kit, when appropriate). All items will need to be packed in a backpack that the child can comfortably carry. We do get muddy, we will get wet in streams and creeks, and we will spend lots of time in contact with the earth!
Our program takes place fully outdoors, though we have access to shelter when needed. We operate on private land 10 minutes south of Durango, though there may occasionally be field trips to other wild places in the area.
You may choose to attend either Mondays or Wednesdays, or attend both. Curriculum and activities will be varied enough to support children attending both days. This is a year-long program, running from September to May and require a year-long commitment and a non-refundable $200 deposit upon registration. Please contact us if you have extenuating circumstances or questions about this requirement.
For Wild Tenders, children need to be prepared to be outdoors comfortably from 9am-3pm in a range of weather conditions. Having the right gear and adequate food and hydration makes for resilient kids and fun days, regardless of weather! We will provide more info on what gear you need as the school year approaches. Parents are responsible for providing clothing, food, water and necessary supplies each program day (which may include a journal, knife or fire kit, when appropriate). All items will need to be packed in a backpack that the child can comfortably carry. We do get muddy, we will get wet in streams and creeks, and we will spend lots of time in contact with the earth!
Tuition Information
We have 3 payment options available for those wishing to participate in our program:
1. State Funding
We are excited to share that we can now offer funding through the Colorado Homeschool Enrichment Program (CHE)! This program will allow Wild Tenders to attend 1 or 2 days-per-week for FREE, as long as they are not enrolled in another state-funded program (such as shared school, Willowbend, etc.). If you'd like to enroll in this program, you will need to complete the enrollment process for both CHE and Wild Soul.
2. Monthly or year-long out-of-pocket payment
For those paying out of pocket, our rates for the year are as follows. Monthly payments are due the 1st of the month Sep-May.
1 day/week Wild-Tenders
$1800 total (plus $200 deposit) - $200/month
2 days/week Wild Tenders
$3400 total (plus $200 deposit) - $380/month
Siblings receive a 10% discount on total tuition cost
3. Tuition Assistance
We also will be offering a limited number of tuition assistance scholarships, which will cover 25 or 50 percent of total tuition costs. Our tuition assistance team will make the decision on who receives these scholarships based on a number of factors, including income and family size, alignment with the values of our program and whether or not you are receiving funding through CHE. If you'd like to apply, please follow the link below and wait to hear from us before registering!
1. State Funding
We are excited to share that we can now offer funding through the Colorado Homeschool Enrichment Program (CHE)! This program will allow Wild Tenders to attend 1 or 2 days-per-week for FREE, as long as they are not enrolled in another state-funded program (such as shared school, Willowbend, etc.). If you'd like to enroll in this program, you will need to complete the enrollment process for both CHE and Wild Soul.
2. Monthly or year-long out-of-pocket payment
For those paying out of pocket, our rates for the year are as follows. Monthly payments are due the 1st of the month Sep-May.
1 day/week Wild-Tenders
$1800 total (plus $200 deposit) - $200/month
2 days/week Wild Tenders
$3400 total (plus $200 deposit) - $380/month
Siblings receive a 10% discount on total tuition cost
3. Tuition Assistance
We also will be offering a limited number of tuition assistance scholarships, which will cover 25 or 50 percent of total tuition costs. Our tuition assistance team will make the decision on who receives these scholarships based on a number of factors, including income and family size, alignment with the values of our program and whether or not you are receiving funding through CHE. If you'd like to apply, please follow the link below and wait to hear from us before registering!
Please reach out if you want to discuss specifics about your family's situation or need help figuring out the best way to fund your child's participation!
A non-refundable $200 deposit will be required on registration to reserve your spot regardless of the payment option you choose.
A non-refundable $200 deposit will be required on registration to reserve your spot regardless of the payment option you choose.
Registration and payment links
Register for Wild Tenders here:
Sign up for the CHE funding program here
**ONLY if you are not signed up for another state-funded program**:
**ONLY if you are not signed up for another state-funded program**:
Apply for Tuition Assistance through Wild Soul here:
The Fine Print
**Please note: registration does reserve you a spot, but does not guarantee acceptance into the program. While we will do all we can to make our programs accessible to all, we reserve the right to ensure we are a good fit for each other and that it is within our ability to meet your child's needs before their spot is guaranteed. We place great importance on the physical and emotional health and safety of all our participants, and make decisions accordingly. If for some reason we decide we are not a good match for you and your child, your deposit will be fully refunded. For school-year applicants, we will schedule an interview prior to the beginning of the school year to check in and discuss any concerns. In all other cases, the deposit is non-refundable.
We also need to meet minimum enrollment numbers and have qualified staff to make a program work. If we have not met our necessary enrollment numbers or cannot find appropriate instructors, the program in question may be canceled. In this case you will receive a full refund for any deposit or tuition paid. Please register promptly! Thank you for your cooperation and understanding!**
**Please note: registration does reserve you a spot, but does not guarantee acceptance into the program. While we will do all we can to make our programs accessible to all, we reserve the right to ensure we are a good fit for each other and that it is within our ability to meet your child's needs before their spot is guaranteed. We place great importance on the physical and emotional health and safety of all our participants, and make decisions accordingly. If for some reason we decide we are not a good match for you and your child, your deposit will be fully refunded. For school-year applicants, we will schedule an interview prior to the beginning of the school year to check in and discuss any concerns. In all other cases, the deposit is non-refundable.
We also need to meet minimum enrollment numbers and have qualified staff to make a program work. If we have not met our necessary enrollment numbers or cannot find appropriate instructors, the program in question may be canceled. In this case you will receive a full refund for any deposit or tuition paid. Please register promptly! Thank you for your cooperation and understanding!**
For more about our philosophy and curriculum, or what a day might look like for our students, please visit the About page.
To get in touch with our director, please fill out and submit the form below and we will reach out to you shortly!
