More About US:
Wild Child Free School is a nonprofit project of the 501(c)(3) The Children Are Our Future.
We started out as a small co-op program where a bunch of parents whose kids needed lots and lots of outdoor time pooled resources to hire our first kick-ass outdoor guides. Busy parents (many balancing working and homeschooling) got 6 hours to themselves, busy kids got the deep time in nature that they needed!
Win-win.
Today, Wild Child has grown. A lot. But we're still run by a handful of guides and parent volunteers! That means that we might struggle to reply to every email in a timely way, but it's also awesome because you can shape the program to fit your child's and your family's needs. We're super-flexible about our program, and it changes every year to fit the needs of the kids and families who are participating.
FAQ
Q. What's with the cost? I thought you were a "free school"?
We're using a co-op model to be able to afford to pay our really amazing Nature Guides as well as our insurance and nonprofit fiscal sponsorship fees. The fee for regularly-enrolled Silicon Valley families is $80/day per child - significantly less than other nature programs in the Bay Area. Fees will be used directly to pay our Guides -- no income goes to our parent admin team. The "free school" part is that the kids are free to pursue their own interest and be their own selves.
Q. Why nature awareness?
One of the biggest problems for kids in Silicon Valley (and many parts of the world) is lack of time spent out of doors. Wild Child gives kids time in nature, plus the broader, more immersive "I'm alive!" experience that you only get in more wild places - and boy does the Bay Area have some spectacular wild places! Check out the About Us Page.
Q. What do kids do at Wild Child?
It’s a little different in each program, but a typical outdoors Wild Child day includes an opening circle, some hiking, some imaginative play, plant and animal identification, group games, snack and lunch breaks, and a closing circle where the children and guides review the day’s learning and share thank-yous with the group. Each guide mentor brings their own expertise to their group and facilitates a deeper connection with the earth through learning and developing interests with individual Wild Children and as a group. All Wild Children will come to have a deep understanding and appreciation of local ecosystems.
Q. What will my child learn?
In addition to the profound social-emotional learning that happens among a group of kids regularly spending hours of gently facilitated time outdoors together, kids choose their own learning goals, and the guides will work with them to achieve those goals. Kids might choose to learn about edible plants, bird identification, finding amphibians, building forts or shelters, and other outdoor survival skills.
Q. What is the guide-to-child ratio?
We operate at a 1:6 ratio for the majority of our programs, so all the kids get plenty of attention and everyone stays safe. With our older groups, we may go up to a ratio of 1:7 at guide discretion.
Q. How dirty do they get?
It depends on the day. Some days, your Wild Child may come home caked with more mud than you can imagine--and we’re OK with that! We believe that nature education means getting comfortable outside, and that can mean getting hot, wet, dusty, and even exposed to bug bites and poison oak. (And your kids will get really good at identifying poison oak as well!)
Q. What happens if someone gets hurt?
Kids will climb trees and roll down hills, and acquire the usual cuts, scrapes, and sometimes poison oak or bee stings. We have strong safety protocols in place for safely exploring all the outdoors has to offer while minimizing danger. The guides have extensive first aid training, as well as cell phones and emergency beacons. For minor injuries, guides will take kids aside and administer love and band-aids until everyone feels ok. In the case of anything serious, emergency personnel will be contacted immediately and you and/or your child’s emergency contact will be contacted as soon as possible thereafter. Our Emergency Protocol is available on the Members Only Page for additional information.
Q. How do you manage conflict?
Conflict between kids does happen. We see conflict as an opportunity to teach social-emotional learning, which is an integral part of the program. We keep groups small, so guides can non-judgmentally help kids work through difficulties. We help kids learn how to listen to one another, and give them a chance to feel heard. Over time, kids develop respect and affection for kids they might not normally connect with, in addition to better self-regulation skills. In rare instances, a child may be asked to miss a day of Wild Child as a consequence of repeated disregard of the safety of themselves or others.
Q. What should my kid bring?
Each child carries his or her own backpack filled with water, lunch, snacks, extra clothing, and outer layers and sun protection in case of weather changes. Wild Children can also bring a journal and something to write with. Electronics and toys from home are not allowed, but books to share are always welcome.
Q. What should my kid wear?
Check the weather before leaving home. But the best answer: layers! Long pants are required (skirts or shorts with long socks OK too), and shoes should be sturdy with a good sole (no sandals or "crocs" please!). Always assume that shoes and clothes may get wet and/or muddy. Rain gear is useful during rainy days, as we do hold sessions rain or shine!
Q. How can I help?
Parents can volunteer in many ways! Some examples include administrative tasks, driving carpools and helping to organize community days and parties. Parents can also donate money to make Wild Child even more awesome!
Q. How will the guides communicate with me, and me with them?
You can always reach our guides via their cell phones, available to on the members-only contact list (enrolled families are given the password to these pages). Guides will check in about any serious problems or conflicts at the end of the day, and can set up follow-up phone calls if needed. Each week, guides will send emails with a summary of each day’s activities and learning. One-on-one parent-guide conferences can be arranged if necessary.
Q. What is your absence/makeup policy if we're a Registered family?
If you know your family will be absent on a specific date, please let guides know as far in advance as possible via email.
If you are enrolled for a Half or Full Session, you can makeup up to 1 missed day per 7 week Half session on another program day that has an open spot. We don't hire additional guides to accommodate makeups. We can't roll over credits for missed days into another session.
Q. If I need to cancel a Drop-In, what should I do?
Please communicate to the guides ASAP if you will not be attending your scheduled Drop-In day. Their phone numbers are available in the Members Only Page, or if it is more than 48-hours in advance email is OK. We will help you schedule a different Drop-In day.
If you need to cancel your drop in completely, there is a $50 cancellation fee.
Q. What is your Cancellation/refund policy?
Great question! See our Registration Page for more details.
We started out as a small co-op program where a bunch of parents whose kids needed lots and lots of outdoor time pooled resources to hire our first kick-ass outdoor guides. Busy parents (many balancing working and homeschooling) got 6 hours to themselves, busy kids got the deep time in nature that they needed!
Win-win.
Today, Wild Child has grown. A lot. But we're still run by a handful of guides and parent volunteers! That means that we might struggle to reply to every email in a timely way, but it's also awesome because you can shape the program to fit your child's and your family's needs. We're super-flexible about our program, and it changes every year to fit the needs of the kids and families who are participating.
FAQ
Q. What's with the cost? I thought you were a "free school"?
We're using a co-op model to be able to afford to pay our really amazing Nature Guides as well as our insurance and nonprofit fiscal sponsorship fees. The fee for regularly-enrolled Silicon Valley families is $80/day per child - significantly less than other nature programs in the Bay Area. Fees will be used directly to pay our Guides -- no income goes to our parent admin team. The "free school" part is that the kids are free to pursue their own interest and be their own selves.
Q. Why nature awareness?
One of the biggest problems for kids in Silicon Valley (and many parts of the world) is lack of time spent out of doors. Wild Child gives kids time in nature, plus the broader, more immersive "I'm alive!" experience that you only get in more wild places - and boy does the Bay Area have some spectacular wild places! Check out the About Us Page.
Q. What do kids do at Wild Child?
It’s a little different in each program, but a typical outdoors Wild Child day includes an opening circle, some hiking, some imaginative play, plant and animal identification, group games, snack and lunch breaks, and a closing circle where the children and guides review the day’s learning and share thank-yous with the group. Each guide mentor brings their own expertise to their group and facilitates a deeper connection with the earth through learning and developing interests with individual Wild Children and as a group. All Wild Children will come to have a deep understanding and appreciation of local ecosystems.
Q. What will my child learn?
In addition to the profound social-emotional learning that happens among a group of kids regularly spending hours of gently facilitated time outdoors together, kids choose their own learning goals, and the guides will work with them to achieve those goals. Kids might choose to learn about edible plants, bird identification, finding amphibians, building forts or shelters, and other outdoor survival skills.
Q. What is the guide-to-child ratio?
We operate at a 1:6 ratio for the majority of our programs, so all the kids get plenty of attention and everyone stays safe. With our older groups, we may go up to a ratio of 1:7 at guide discretion.
Q. How dirty do they get?
It depends on the day. Some days, your Wild Child may come home caked with more mud than you can imagine--and we’re OK with that! We believe that nature education means getting comfortable outside, and that can mean getting hot, wet, dusty, and even exposed to bug bites and poison oak. (And your kids will get really good at identifying poison oak as well!)
Q. What happens if someone gets hurt?
Kids will climb trees and roll down hills, and acquire the usual cuts, scrapes, and sometimes poison oak or bee stings. We have strong safety protocols in place for safely exploring all the outdoors has to offer while minimizing danger. The guides have extensive first aid training, as well as cell phones and emergency beacons. For minor injuries, guides will take kids aside and administer love and band-aids until everyone feels ok. In the case of anything serious, emergency personnel will be contacted immediately and you and/or your child’s emergency contact will be contacted as soon as possible thereafter. Our Emergency Protocol is available on the Members Only Page for additional information.
Q. How do you manage conflict?
Conflict between kids does happen. We see conflict as an opportunity to teach social-emotional learning, which is an integral part of the program. We keep groups small, so guides can non-judgmentally help kids work through difficulties. We help kids learn how to listen to one another, and give them a chance to feel heard. Over time, kids develop respect and affection for kids they might not normally connect with, in addition to better self-regulation skills. In rare instances, a child may be asked to miss a day of Wild Child as a consequence of repeated disregard of the safety of themselves or others.
Q. What should my kid bring?
Each child carries his or her own backpack filled with water, lunch, snacks, extra clothing, and outer layers and sun protection in case of weather changes. Wild Children can also bring a journal and something to write with. Electronics and toys from home are not allowed, but books to share are always welcome.
Q. What should my kid wear?
Check the weather before leaving home. But the best answer: layers! Long pants are required (skirts or shorts with long socks OK too), and shoes should be sturdy with a good sole (no sandals or "crocs" please!). Always assume that shoes and clothes may get wet and/or muddy. Rain gear is useful during rainy days, as we do hold sessions rain or shine!
Q. How can I help?
Parents can volunteer in many ways! Some examples include administrative tasks, driving carpools and helping to organize community days and parties. Parents can also donate money to make Wild Child even more awesome!
Q. How will the guides communicate with me, and me with them?
You can always reach our guides via their cell phones, available to on the members-only contact list (enrolled families are given the password to these pages). Guides will check in about any serious problems or conflicts at the end of the day, and can set up follow-up phone calls if needed. Each week, guides will send emails with a summary of each day’s activities and learning. One-on-one parent-guide conferences can be arranged if necessary.
Q. What is your absence/makeup policy if we're a Registered family?
If you know your family will be absent on a specific date, please let guides know as far in advance as possible via email.
If you are enrolled for a Half or Full Session, you can makeup up to 1 missed day per 7 week Half session on another program day that has an open spot. We don't hire additional guides to accommodate makeups. We can't roll over credits for missed days into another session.
Q. If I need to cancel a Drop-In, what should I do?
Please communicate to the guides ASAP if you will not be attending your scheduled Drop-In day. Their phone numbers are available in the Members Only Page, or if it is more than 48-hours in advance email is OK. We will help you schedule a different Drop-In day.
If you need to cancel your drop in completely, there is a $50 cancellation fee.
Q. What is your Cancellation/refund policy?
Great question! See our Registration Page for more details.