Anake Leadership Program

I signed up for the program expecting to learn about a unique nature education model and ended up taking away so much more…I learned about leading out a students’s gifts and came to a better understanding of my own strengths and weaknesses as a mentor... I have never in my life had so much fun learning.-Stephanie Etley

Wilderness skills are one thing...

but learning how to effectively pass them on is something else entirely...

At our Anake Leadership Program, you gain the necessary skill, knowledge and experience to be effective outdoor leaders at Wilderness Awareness School or other outdoor education organizations. This program is available only for Anake Outdoor School/Residential Program graduates.

Beginning of Year

Summer Camps Summer camps are an integral part of the leadership program. There’s nothing like being out there in the woods for a week with a group of brand new kids to give you the trial by fire learning experience essential for all good outdoor instructors. They are the perfect place to hone your ability to inspire kids into a lifelong love affair with the natural world.

Those with the necessary experience and skill can spend their summer as paid lead instructors, though this depends on the number of open positions and involves a competitive application process. The minimum requirement during the summer is to attend staff training week and participate in three weeks of camp as an assistant.

Art of Mentoring Your formal training at the Anake Leadership Program begins at the Art of Mentoring, a week-long intensive experiential class focuses on our unique curriculum and lays a foundation to use in your Youth or Anake Field Practicum. Read more about Art of Mentoring

Weekly Rhythm

After the Art of Mentoring, your second year enters a rhythm of weekly field practicum and reflection seminars, designed to anchor your year and deepen your experiences.

Field Practicum In the field practicum you learn to transform the knowledge and experience you gained from the Anake Outdoor School into mentoring sensibilities and instructional skills in a wide range of situations. You receive weekly hands-on mentoring with our ongoing youth or adult programs, and are integrated with staff as a member of the planning team.

Reflection Seminars Part of the power of the Anake Leadership Program is having a group of fellow students that directly support and learn from each other's experiences. Weekly reflection seminars every Monday afternoon allow for group discussions, shared learning, and support. (NOTE: This is in addition to meetings with the staff of your field practicum program on Mondays).

Monthly Rhythm

In addition to weekly cycles, there are additional monthly advanced skills training and Kamana Natuaralist Training that deepen your naturalist and wilderness skills learning.

Advanced Skills Training One weekend day a month you will receive Advanced Skills training with our most experienced field instructors. Six sessions focus on the mentoring methods and leadership skills you need to become an effective instructor of an outdoor education program, while also becoming a leader in your community. Four sessions focus on advanced wilderness skills instruction to further the teaching bundle you have available to pass on to your students. You will receive four sessions with our most experienced  field instructors on: Survival Skills, Bird Language, and Ethnobotany.

Kamana Naturalist Training Students complete the first three levels of Kamana before beginning the Anake Leadership Program, and complete the fourth level by the end of their year. So in addition to in class learning time, there is a considerable amount of self-study culminating in graduation from the Kamana Home Study Course

Winter/Spring Highlights

Environmental Educator Exchange One of the really unique opportunities that students have in their second year is the chance to spend time with two other top notch instructor training programs in western Washington. These exchanges are field trips to North Cascades Institute and Islandwood, where you visit the beautiful campuses of these organizations and connect with peers at highly respected environmental education centers and outdoor leadership programs in our region.

Weekend Skills Course All second year students participate as volunteer assistant instructors at one of Wilderness Awareness School's weekend adult courses throughout the year – chosen at the beginning of the year. This allows you to get further instruction in a curriculum area, as well as giving an opportunity to experience being part of the teaching team for a public adult course.

Paid Work Opportunities For those apprentices who demonstrate excellence in their training, there will be opportunities to work for pay as a contract instructor in some of our spring Youth Programs with Puget Sound area schools. While all apprentices will have the opportunity to assist at these programs for the experience of it, the number of paid positions are limited and are assigned through a competitive application process.

Summer Highlights

Once summer arrives, except for completing Kamana work, your weekly and monthly rhythms change dramatically. You are in the home stretch and adventure beckons...

Summer Camps II We expect that all leadership program students would have full paid work opportunities for their second summer with our summer camps (enrollment dependent), and that for some individuals, and opportunity to direct camps using all that you've learned as a mentor and leader of youth and adults.

Wolf Tracking Your  week-long Idaho Wolf Tracking Adventure is the culminating rite of passage experience for the apprentices as one group, living all the Anake skills you’ve been learning for two years. You explore remote and beautiful backcountry, while learning first-hand through immersion about the ways of the gray wolf and other wildlife on the edge of the largest designated wilderness area in the continental United States. More information about this trip will come as the year progresses.

Final Week

Art of Mentoring II For the final week of your second year experience, you step into a creative leadership role at the Art of Mentoring class and facilitate the workshop for public participants as well as incoming Anake Leadership Program students. You have gained many  skills, experiences and stories, and are ready to put all that you have learned into action wherever your destination.