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Good hearted and hard working school teachers take on the task of organizing camp for their students; they educate parents and students, organize paperwork, collect money, and lose sleep. Once camp day comes, students head up to the mountains where we take over. Visiting teachers have a very free form role in our program; we need their help supervising during meals and in the case a student cannot participate in the program.

Other than this they are encouraged to interact with the students, watch classes, catch up on school work, and, like the students themselves, just enjoy their time in the fresh air.

For the students, we look at ourselves as a wonderful combination of both a school and a camp. Our science and ecology based classes, based on California State Standards, are taught from thoughtful and detailed lesson plans in interactive and experiential ways, and offer three activities and one experiment per class. 

Unlike other science schools, we operate on the notion that this one experience may be the only outdoor "camp" experience that many of these students ever see. Because of this, we would be remiss if we did not include the "camp" side of things; classes like climbing, archery, teambuilding and orienteering, songs and skits, and lots of fun, silly games. We want students to understand that life is a proper balance of hard work and fun play.

Contents

General Information

Overview Our Staff Classes & Schedules Weather and Clothing Supervision Policies Support for Schools Food and Meals Lunch on the Trails Teacher Responsibilities Number of Teachers Personal Vehicles Teacher Housing Suggested Steps Our Administration Kudos From Schools

Medical Policies

Our Medic Special/Behavioral Needs Before You Leave School Illnesses: Teacher Help Needed Emergencies 

Pricing, Payment and extras

High Trails Tuition Extras Scholarships  Payment Refunds Adjusting Number Of Students Fundraising Guide NEW!!!

While you are here

Arrival Day Teachers In Classes Leaving Camp Student Discipline Sick Or Disciplined Students: Teacher Help Needed
Dining Hall Expectations:  Teacher Help Needed Departure Day  

General Information

Overview

At camp, students spend their time split between the field and the cabin. In the field, students grab a sack lunch and head off with their field instructor, out of doors the whole day while being taught classes chosen by the visiting school teachers. Dinner is back in camp at the dining hall, after which students switch to their cabin instructor, who teaches night classes, hosts evening programs like snakes and line dancing, and makes sure certain essential demands (showering, sleeping, etc.) are met. After a night's sleep in a heated cabin, students are up and ready for breakfast and the next day. Students are supervised 100% of the time, and our program is purposefully designed to keep students busy and occupied the entire time they are here with us.

Our Staff

What sets us apart from most outdoor education centers is that 95% all of our staff are college degreed professionals. The ones that don't have a degree are using High Trails as an internship so they can complete their university degree. They are recruited from all over the United States to teach Southern California elementary students. Once your students step onto camp, we take control of their experience and our staff lead the way.

During the day groups are led by Field Instructors, who take them out into the woods and help them to experience nature firsthand. At dinner our Cabin Instructors take over, leading evening programs and focusing on the development of communities in cabins, and then sleeping overnight with the students. The next week of camp our staff rotate; the Cabin Instructors become Field Instructors and vice versa. This keeps our staff fresh and makes sure that everyone knows 100% of the camp experience and student needs. During the year, we focus on continuing education and improvement for our instructors, making evaluations, projects, and inservices a mandatory part of life at High Trails.

To apply to work as High Trails, potential instructors must submit a cover letter, resume, and a response to our “Tough Questions”. If everything looks good we spend some time talking on the phone, trying to get to know who wants to work with us. Next step is to see what other people think; a minimum of three work and personal references are verified and rated, with an above average rating needed to qualify. Our primary concerns when looking for staff: a responsible love of teaching children, a passion for the outdoors, and a demonstrated professionalism in an outdoor camp environment. If selected, staff are invited to a two week training, where they will be screened in person and given the chance to demonstrate their teaching competency. Fingerprinted background checks on every staff member are completed to verify their clean criminal background, and their First Aid and CPR certifications are verified. Now they are ready to step into the role of a High Trails Instructor. See more details on our Staff Website.

Classes and Schedules

Our goal is to absolutely minimize downtime and make the most of every minute of your trip. You can see how days are generally organized by looking at a sample schedule.  Every school that comes up to camp has different students with different needs. Part of the fun of High Trails is that you choose the daytime classes that best fit your students. If you have special program needs or requests, we are more than happy to work with you to make sure the experience is just right for your school.

Weather And Clothing 

Camp ranges in elevation from 6,500 to 7,200 feet, so you won’t ever have to worry about air conditioning! Temperatures during the fall and spring are warm during the day and chilly at night, with winter bringing chilly days and cold nights. Snow will fall, though we can never predict when. Please bring warm clothes, gloves and a hat, boots and multiple pairs of socks, and a waterproof jacket. Encourage your students to do the same. Don't be afraid of the winter and snow! We do have waterproof boots, pants and jackets available to students who need them.   

Supervision Policies

Your students are directly supervised by a High Trails Instructor 24 hours of the day. The only time supervision is not direct is when they are in the restroom or shower. In this situation instructors are nearby in case assistance is needed. 

Support For Schools

Getting your students ready for camp is a big challenge! You have parents to deal with, permission slips to copy and hand out, money to collect, buses to schedule; the list goes on. Although we can't take your place in the classroom, there are several ways we can help with preparation:

1. Fundraising Guide: if you're at all new to the process, or just want to read a fresh perspective on the step by step process of preparation, start here.
2. Video Presentation: a one page shot of the videos you'll need to show parents.
3. Parent Website Information: we have a webpage devoted just to parents and students and their specific questions about camp.
4. Printable Parent's Guide: We encourage you to copy this and pass it out to students to give to their parents. It answers many of the questions they have and will shed some light on the entire experience. This is the same information that is on the parents website page, just in printed form.
5. Parent Presentations: the best time to do these are Open House and Back To School Nights. Here's a suggested outline for your presentation:

 
1. Background Video: while parents are coming in and sitting down, play the High Trails "Site Tour" video. The volume is kept low and gives parents good background information on where their students are going. All videos can be found here: Video Presentation
2. Introduction: the teachers introduce themselves and explain to the parents that they're going to be talking about their upcoming field trip.
3. Who: all of the sixth grade students at your elementary school, given that they have good grades and behavior.
4. What: students will be attending High Trails Outdoor Science School. The teachers play the 3 minute video "Schools and Parents".
5. Where: High Trails is located 30 minutes outside of Big Bear Lake, and is in the middle of the National Forest. The teachers refer parents to the "Site Tour" video for later viewing at home.
6. Why: the teachers explain to the parents why they believe this is an important experience for students.
7. How: the teachers pass out flyers and informational packets. We suggest using the resources on our Forms page and the flyers available on the Fundraising Guide.
8. Resources: the teachers encourage the parents to visit the High Trails website. It has plenty of information; weather, webcams, lots of videos, forms, and contact information for the school.
9. Question and Answer Session: the teachers open the floor up to questions and answers from parents.
10. Close: the teachers thank the parents for their time and encourage them to contact the school teachers or High Trails with more questions.
11. Background Video: as the parents start to leave, play the "Student" video; this is a great overview video of the outdoor science school experience.

Food and Meals

Our cook is tremendous at preparing not only healthy kid friendly food, but good adult and vegetarian options as well; check out a sample menu here. We treat meals as a program teaching opportunity; we'll talk about food waste, discuss riddles, sing songs, and emphasize manners.

Lunch on the Trail

On the first day lunch will be served in the dining hall, but unless the weather is bad, the rest of the week lunches are eaten outside. This gives students more time outside; the very reason they are up here in the first place. Instructors prepare lunches for their trail groups at the beginning of each day based on student preferences, and the entire group pitches in and carries their lunch out onto the trail. 

Teacher Responsibilities

While you're at High Trails, we'll primarily need your help with two things; supervision in the dining hall and taking responsibility for any of your students who cannot participate in our program, either due to medical or discipline issues. You do not have to teach any classes or supervise any group activities of any kind. Aside from this, you are free to enjoy the outdoor atmosphere of the mountains. You can see more details of your expectations below.

Number Of Teachers

At least one of the adults attending camp must be a certified teacher employed by the school in attendance. One adult chaperone must attend camp for every 30 students. Parents are not allowed to attend camp as we believe this changes the experience for the child. There must be one school staff member readily available at all times in the case of an emergency. If you plan on leaving the camp property for a short time during your visit, please bring a cellular phone or pager so we can reach you in case of an emergency.

Personal Vehicles

We strongly encourage you to bring one personal vehicle with you to camp. There have been situations where a student is sick or disciplined,  needs to go home, and their parents will not come pick them up. If you have your own vehicle at camp you can remedy this; if not, the student will be placed under your direct supervision. High Trails has vehicles to use in emergency situations, but for occasions such as wanting to drive into town to shop or needing to take a sick or disciplined student home, only your vehicle will suffice. 

Teacher Housing  

For teachers we have several buildings available in which to rest and relax. Rooms have between one and two twin sized beds, so be prepared to share a room with your fellow teachers. Sheets, blankets, pillows and towels are all provided; you do not have to bring bedding or sleeping bags. We have a lounge available for your use that has couches and tables, a TV/DVD player with satellite service, a refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker. We have dial-up internet available in the dining hall, where you can use a community computer or your own laptop. Teacher housing is limited, so if you are planning on bringing teachers in excess of the traditional ratio of 1 teacher per 30 students please let us know so we can prepare for you. 

Steps in Preparing for High Trails

1. Read this entire Teacher's Guide, and then explore the rest of the website.
2. Head over to the forms page. Here you'll find all of the paperwork to get organized and ready for your trip. Start with the High Trails Check List and use it to understand, prepare and organize your forms.
3. Email your site director to say "hello" and let them know of any special needs or requests. Site Directors send out welcome emails at the beginning of every school year and season and will be your primary contact for organizing the trip.
4. Talk with your fellow school teachers to make certain your are all on the same page with what is needed to make a successful trip. Encourage them to read the entire Teacher's Guide so everyone know exactly what to expect. 
5. Plan out your parent presentation, transportation, and fundraising.

Our Administration...Your High Trails Guides

Site Director: this is the person who is your primary communication liaison in regards to overall planning and preparation for the trip. Once you get to High Trails, they will continue in this role and talk with you every day, every step of the way.

Nawakwa Site Director: Chris@dirtyclassroom.com; Edwards Site Director: Amy@dirtyclassroom.com

Medic: this is the person who will be handling medications, sick students, and special needs. They are ready to talk with parents and teachers before the trip to get all the details ready, and will be at High Trails every step of the way during the actual trip experience.

Nawakwa Medic: Jana@dirtyclassroom.com; Edwards Site Medic: Heather@dirtyclassroom.com

Kudos From Schools

Nothing works like hearing it from the people that have actually been up to High Trails. Here are two months worth of comments from school teachers in early 2011.

Medical Policies

Our Medic

High Trails employs a full-time Medic who is trained in First Aid, CPR, is a Wilderness First Responder or EMT, and has extensive experience with children. The medic is on call for emergencies or medications 24 hours a day. Our Medic will administer first aid treatment, distribute medications as listed on the Medication Form, and maintain a small infirmary. The Medic will not be allowed to give injections to students unless a life-threatening emergency occurs. If a student needs daily injections, they must be able to inject themselves under the supervision of the Medic. The Medic carries with them a UHF based radio so that they are available to be contacted at all times of the day.

We've got backup; our Site Directors are trained as Wilderness First Responsers, we have another trained Medic on staff ready to step up as needed, and we have an on call EMT. Additionally, every member of our Instructor Team is certified in basic First Aid and CPR, and they carry a first response kit and UHF based radio with them anytime they are working.

Special/Behavioral Needs

High Trails supports and encourages a wide variety of students as they consider journeying up into the mountains. Every student and situation is different, so please contact your site director to discuss any special needs you may have. As a general rule, if a student needs an aide at school or special care in the home for basic needs (bathing, changing clothes, etc), the school or parent will need to provide an aide for the duration of the camp trip. Please check out the Special Concerns Form for more details.

Before You Leave School

It is the school's responsibility to ensure that students arrive in good health. The school must exclude students from participating in the trip for the following reasons:

• Temperature of student is 100 degrees or greater on the morning of departure. Please check all of your students the morning of departure.
• Signs and symptoms of illness such as severe coughing, runny nose, or sore throat.
• Incomplete recovery from recent illness or injury. Students must have a temperature below 100 degrees for at least 24 hours.

Illnesses: Teacher Help Needed

In the event that a student becomes ill at camp, the medical protocol is as follows:
1. The Medic will speak with the student to determine the cause and condition of their discomfort.
2.  Immediate First-Aid will be given to life-threatening injuries, other injuries, and wounds.
3. The student’s temperature will be taken.

If the student has a normal temperature (at or about 98.6 degrees F), then the student will be treated with any over the counter medications available for that student’s symptoms that have been approved on the student’s Consent/Health Form by the parent/guardian.
If the student has a temperature of 100 degrees or greater, or if their symptoms demand it, they will be treated with over the counter medications as approved on the Consent/Health Form and checked into the camp isolation room. At this point the parent/guardian will be contacted, and a teacher will be asked to sit with the child, either in the isolation room or in the teacher’s quarters. The student will remain isolated for 4 hours. If the student’s temperature has returned to normal after this time, they will be allowed to return to camp activities. If after 4 hours their temperature is still over 100 degrees, the parents will be contacted again and the student will be sent home. In this situation the student needs rest, and camp is not a good environment for extensive rest. If the parent cannot pick up the child, the visiting school will become responsible for supervising and transporting the student back to school. There may be times of the school year when student sickness is more prevalent; to keep other students healthy, High Trails reserves the right to immediately send home any student with a temperature of 100 degrees or greater.

Emergencies 

In the event of serious accident, injury or illness to a student, the High Trails Medic will provide first aid treatment and, if necessary, the student will be taken to Big Bear Community Hospital or Loma Linda Hospital. Transportation is provided by visiting schools and teachers. If this is not possible, High Trails will provide emergency transportation. The parent/guardian is responsible for immediately picking their child up should an emergency situation arise.

Pricing, Payment, and Extras

High Trails Tuition

Our fees include all meals, lodging and programs. Teachers may attend free of charge at a ratio of 1 teacher per 25 students. Any teachers attending in excess of this ratio may be charged at 50% of the camp tuition. Prices are based upon time of year, length of program, and site preference. Please see our Enrollment Form for our current prices.

Extras

Are available to select on your Program Form.

• Last Day Sack Lunch: $3 per student
• Last Day Lunch in Dining Hall: $4 per student
• Nightly Snack (juice and a treat): $1 per student per day
• T-Shirts: $10 each

Scholarships 

High Trails offers scholarship money for schools. On your invoice, we will automatically deduct the cost of one student for every twenty-five students that you bring to camp. You may use the scholarships for individual students, subtract a small portion from everyone’s cost, or apply the scholarship money toward bussing costs. We reserve the right to void all scholarships if the number of students does not equal 90% or greater of the contracted amount or payment is not received before or during your week at camp. We will show the scholarship amount on the final bill based on the number of students that physically attend camp.

Payment

Payment is due upon arrival at camp. Please let us know if you anticipate a delay in payment. Checks should be made payable to High Trails. We will email an invoice to you the week prior to your arrival at camp, with student numbers based upon your Program Form. If your district or school will be sending payment prior to arrival please use our main office address: High Trails, PO Box 2640, Big Bear City, CA 92314. If payment is not received before or during the week your students are at camp, we reserve the right to revoke any offered scholarships. 

Refunds

If you arrive at camp and realize you have overpaid, we will gladly issue a check for the difference; we only charge you for the students that you actually bring to camp. Refund checks will be issued within 30 days of payment receipt. Because of fixed staffing and site costs, we cannot issue refunds for students that arrive late or leave camp early.

Adjusting Number Of Students

We base our program, staffing, and site scheduling based upon the number of students on your contract. Should this number change, whether it is up or down, please let us know right away so we can make the necessary adjustments to our program. High Trails reserves the right to hold schools responsible for paying a minimum of 90% of the amount of students shown on the contract.

Fundraising Guide

We've worked hard on an exhaustive guide to fundraising. Check it out, wade through it all (it's pretty long...) and, we guarantee, you'll find at least one solid thing to aid you in the fundraising process. Fundraising Guide

While you are up here

Arrival Day

Once you have students, paperwork and money ready, it’s time to head up the mountain! Make sure you know which site you are going to! At least once every year a school shows up to the wrong site because they assumed their bus drivers knew where they were going. Please give us a call when you leave the school, so we have an idea of when you will be arriving. Unless arranged otherwise, we will be awaiting your arrival at 10:30 am on the first day of your program. We have staff meetings, inservices and work projects on these mornings, and if you arrive a good deal of time before this we are often not ready for you. If you know you will be much earlier or later than 10:30 am, please let us know and we will adjust our schedule to fit yours.

Once you arrive at camp, please know exactly how many students you have with you. The instructors will take the students off the busses and get things going. We'll greet you and show all of the teachers to your lodging, where you can get moved in and ready for the week. We'll then set a time to have a Teacher Meeting, where the High Trails administration will all sit down with you as a group to discuss the details of the coming week. Please have all of your paperwork and payment ready at this time. We’ll give you a Teacher Packet for the week, including the week’s schedule and an evaluation form for you to fill out. From there, we'll set up a time for the Instructor Meeting, where you will get a chance to sit down with the instructors who will be with your students for the week. This is a good time to discuss individual students and their teaching needs. Finally it's time for lunch...we'll head over to the dining hall (where your students will have received a welcome and expectations speech). After lunch you are free to enjoy your time at High Trails.

Teachers In Classes

We encourage you to walk about during your stay and observe the students in their classes and cabins, in study and in play. As you do this, though, please be discrete and do not disrupt any classes in progress. Please recognize that your presence is a powerful one for the students and at times it can provide a welcome diversion from actually having to focus on a class. The ideal time to stop in on a group is during a break in the action, whether between classes or individual activities. Our instructors work hard at getting the attention of their students and appreciate your support at keeping the students focused on the classes, not you.

Leaving Camp

Teachers are welcome to leave High Trails to go into nearby towns (Big Bear is 30 minutes away...). Please check in with us before you leave and give us a cell phone number and an anticipated return time.

Student Discipline

We expect students to be on their best behavior while visiting our school. Students who misbehave repeatedly will be expelled from camp. Our discipline policy has one warning and three strikes:    
Warning:
Maybe you just got to camp and didn’t know that was a rule. Now you do… 

• Strike 1: The student is informed of their poor choice and a discussion is held on how they can improve their behavior. 
• Strike 2: The student is brought to a member of camp administration. Teachers are contacted and their feedback is solicited. A behavior contract is established which clearly states the behavior the student must exhibit to remain a part of the program. The parents are contacted at this point and made aware of the contract and the consequences for any further negative actions. 
• Strike 3: A student who breaks their own contract will be responsible for the consequences. Any student who receive a 3rd strike will either be sent home or placed exclusively in the custody of the visiting school teachers.

Any Infraction that puts a student's or staff member's safety in jeopardy will result in the immediate expulsion of the student.

For our discipline system to work effectively, we need the cooperation of both the parents and teachers. Every stage of the discipline process is documented on the Strike List, which is updated during meals and available for teachers to read. We encourage teachers to check in with the Strike List and to briefly talk with students if they receive a warning or first strike. When a student gets a 2nd strike, we will ask for the teacher’s assistance in making sure that the situation is handled as constructively as possible. In the unfortunate case of a 3rd Strike, the parents will be called upon to transport their student from camp. If the parents are unable to do this, it is the teacher’s responsibility to either transport the student off the camp property or assume complete control of the student.

Sick Or Disciplined Students: Teacher Help Needed

On the occasion that a student cannot participate in the program, either due to an illness or discipline issues, an accompanying teacher will be expected to help supervise the child, either in the isolation room or in the teacher’s cabin. This allows the Medic to easily respond to other illnesses or emergencies without leaving the student unsupervised. If a student has earned their 3rd strike, they are at the point where they are no longer welcome in camp activities. On this occasion, the student will be placed in the care of their school teachers, who are fully responsible for them until they leave camp. We use this policy because it enables us to have only one (1) medic on staff at each site, and for them to have the opportunity to take a break each day of work. If your school does not want to assist us with the supervision of sick students, we would be glad to provide additional supervision on a standby basis at an additional charge.

Dining Hall Expectations:  Teacher Help Needed

• To ensure that all the tables have at least one adult, visiting school teachers will be assigned a table at the beginning of the week. 
•  Students may not get up from the table without your permission. The only reasons they may need to get up are to see the medic, go to the restroom, or visit the salad bar.  
• Encourage the students at your table to make wise food choices, and hold them accountable for those choices by only giving dessert to those who have no food waste.

Departure Day

We’ll have a brief meeting on the morning of the last day to discuss how the week went and your thoughts on the program, instructors, and students. By the time this is over we’re about ready to load up the busses. Please arrange to have your busses here on the last day of the program at 10:00 am, so we can have them loaded up and ready for a 10:30 am departure. This lets you get back to the school by the time the final bell rings. If you are scheduling a Last Day Sack Lunch, we will put all of the lunches in large boxes so you can stop on the way home and eat them. If you want to have lunch in the dining hall on the last day, please have your busses here by 11:00 am so we can load them up for an 11:45 departure time.

Welcome to High Trails Outdoor Science School! Started in 2000, we're a Big Bear based small business that focuses on residential outdoor education for California elementary and middle school students. This single minded approach has let us refine our program into what is now, we believe, the best outdoor education and natural science camp experience for your students.

Last year we had 100+ schools and 8,000 students visit us in the mountains for 3, 4 and 5 weekday programs. If you're looking for a friendly, innovative and fresh approach to the world of outdoor education, come join us at High Trails Outdoor Science School; your very own dirty classroom.

Ahh...the Dirty Classroom. No sweeping or dusting necessary. Here you'll find our own effort at helping outdoor educators become better teachers. From lesson plans to activity videos, we're doing our part at making the Dirty Classroom good, clean fun.

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