Download the the Apprenticeship Program application. (Adobe Acrobat PDF Format)

Logistics and Cost

Cost

  • Includes 38 weeks of Mentoring / Naturalist training, Direct Supervision Student Teaching, Art of Mentoring One Week Workshop, Field Immersions, Weekend Intensives, and the Kamana Correspondence course
  • The Vermont Wilderness School Apprenticeship Program is a four-year journey with a minimum of a one-year commitment. The longer you stay, the more you will develop your skills as a naturalist and mentor.
  • 2005-2006 tuition for First-Year Apprentices is $ 9250. Each successive year enrolled as a Vermont Wilderness School Apprentice is marked with substantial tuition reductions and increased mentoring responsibilities.
  • Financial aid is available. Please inquire for details.

The Region and Community

    Brattleboro, Vermont is located in the Northeast Woodlands, with comfortable summers (the average July high/low temperature is 84°/60°), colorful falls, and cold and snowy winters. It is a small town of 10,000 that lies along the Connecticut River. Neighboring communities include Keene, NH and Greenfield, MA. Within a three-hour drive of Brattleboro are Boston, Amherst, Lake Champlain, the Atlantic Ocean, New York, Maine, and many other beautiful natural areas and metropolitan cultural centers.

    As Vermont Wilderness School grows, so does our community. A number of other projects are underway in Brattleboro, including Nature Mapping, Cybertracker, the Southern Vermont Tracking Society, the Inipi and Sacred Song Society, Deep Wilds summer camps, Womenıs New Moon Circle, and much more. Many former apprentices live nearby, and there are other Art-of-Mentoring based communities in the region, such as Two Coyotes School, White Pine Programs, and Hawk Circle.

Housing

    The VWS network of folks is very welcoming and can help you in your search for housing and work. We make every effort to help Apprentices find affordable, shared housing (usually in groups of 2-4) in an appropriate location for their naturalist studies. Although we cannot guarantee success in these searches, we strive to be as helpful and supportive as possible.

Download the the Apprenticeship Program application. (Adobe Acrobat PDF Format)
Or contact the Vermont Wilderness School for more information and to schedule an interview.

For More Information or to request an Application:

802.257.8570

The Vermont Wilderness School
PO Box 2585
Brattleboro, VT 05303

office@VermontWildernessSchool.org