Our Mission
"Learning how our communities and the environment can all fit together on
one healthy planet". We want your students to step into the wilderness and
see a beauty and diversity they have never imagined before, and learn the
importance of both understanding and protecting it. We want your students
to learn more about themselves and their potential, and to discover how to
work and communicate with their peers. High Trails is a week in the
wilderness, in nature, where children are given the opportunity to explore
and shine.
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. Want
to see who our staff really are?
Classes and Programming
The classes and programming that your school participates in are chosen by
school teachers before camp arrival. Some of our classes are adventure
based, like archery and the adventure course, and others are science
based, like water study and plant study. Your child will get a well
rounded outdoor environmental based education at High Trails. Groups
average between 12 and 16 students per instructor at camp. Want
to see what an
average week's schedule looks like?
Supervision Policies
Your child is directly supervised by an 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 the case assistance is needed.
The Site and Facilities
High Trails leases camp sites in the San Bernardino national forest.
Though rustic, the sites offer fully modern facilities like hot water,
private showers, and heated cabins. On the sites themselves we have an
archery range, an archeological dig site, a challenge/adventure course, an
orienteering course, and a climbing wall. See
more here...
Food
Meals are served three times daily, with kid friendly food and vegetarian
options. Because so many things are new to the students at camp, we try to
make the food as familiar and fun as possible.
See our menu here...
Weather
We are at 7,000 feet, so it will get very cold in the
evenings and during the winter. We do get snow in the winter months, and
it's not uncommon to get surprise snowstorms in the fall and spring. For
current conditions, please check our Weather
link. Please follow the
packing list very carefully and take extra
care to make sure your child comes to camp with snow/hiking boots, warm
clothes, long underwear, plenty of socks, and a warm hat and gloves. We
do have extra boots, pants and
jackets in case your child is not adequately prepared.
Packing List
The safety and success of your child is very
dependent upon you making certain that they are ready for this
experience, especially when it comes to following this
Packing List;
please print it out and use it as a checklist.
Every student needs three pieces of luggage:
1. Small school backpack to carry on the bus
2.
Bedroll (available after dinner)
3. Suitcase/Duffel Bag (available
after dinner).
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Packing List
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The Medic
Our medic is a CPR, First Aid, and Wilderness First
Responder (WFR) certified health care professional; they are trained to
handle and respond to emergencies in a wilderness setting. To make
certain all bases are covered, all of our administrators are required to
maintain an active WFR certification and there is always an
administrator certified as an EMT who is on call. The Medic's primary job in camp is
to cater to the needs, both medically and emotionally, of your child. They
check in with the students at meals and they maintain a stocked infirmary
in the center of camp. The medic carries a UHF based radio to maintain
communication with instructors at all times. If
you would like to discuss your child's needs with the medic before
arrival, please email them;
medic@thehightrailsway.com.
Medication
Notes
We are happy to dispense your child’s medication for you, provided that you
fill out the
Medication Form
completely. The medic is limited to giving
oral, nasal, and topical medications only and cannot give your student an injection
(the exception to this is the use of an emergency Epi Pen).
All of the medication,
including the over the counter medication, must be in its original
container, and the dosage amounts on the
package must be identical to those on the medication form. When you arrive at camp,
the medication needs to be in a clear ziplock bag along with the medication
form (please do not use paper bags; we cannot see through these and the
bags easily rip). Please make certain to hand all medication to
your teacher on the first morning of camp; no medication should be in
the student luggage.
Prescription Medication: if you're sending up
prescription medication, you must 1)Fill out our Medication Form
completely 2)Sign our Medication Form and 3)Have your doctor sign our
medication form. We don't accept prescription forms or school forms in
lieu of a doctor's signature on our form. By signing our form, we're
having your doctor double check that it's a good idea, medically, for
your child to be heading up to camp.
Over The Counter Medications (OTC's): Please don't
send up common medications like Tylenol, cough drops, etc. for your
child unless they take this on a daily basis. We have most common Over The Counter Medications available and will
administer them to your child if they ask for it or need it.
If a student is bringing over the counter medicine,
only the parent needs to sign the Medication Form (no doctor signature
needed).
However, we must follow the directions on the medication box, whether it
is age or quantity related. Anything above and beyond the medication
directions is considered a prescription medication and must have a
doctor's signature on the Medication Form.
If the box says the child must be 12 years old to take the medication and
your child is only 11, we cannot administer it without a doctor's
signature!
If Your Child Is Sick
Occasionally children don’t feel so well at camp,
and when this happens the medic steps in. The medic will first talk with
your child to see what is wrong, and then take their temperature. If the
temperature is above 100 degrees, they are immediately taken to the
infirmary to get some rest, and you are called to talk about what might be
wrong. Students have 4 hours in the infirmary to allow their temperature
to drop below 100 degrees; if it is still over 100 degrees after this
period you will be called to come pick them up so they can get some rest
at home. If you send your child to camp, you must be ready and willing to
come pick them up, day or night, if they become sick and need you. Our
general theme with children and the infirmary is that the more
communication with the parents, the better. Don’t be surprised if we call
to check in and ask you a seemingly simple question about your
son or daughter.
Special Concerns
We've been running program since 2000, so we've got a good deal of
experience in all kinds of special situations. If you have concerns
about Special Needs, Allergies, Incontinence/Bedwetting, Diabetes or
something else, please visit this web page for details:
Special Concerns Form
Discipline
To keep camp safe and make it a positive learning experience for all
involved, we have rules that we must adhere to and are consistent in
enforcing. Some of the rules are discussed on the discipline form, and
others students will learn about when they arrive at camp. If your child
has difficulty observing these rules, we may call you and ask for your
assistance and advice with helping them have a more positive experience.
If they cannot change their behavior and become a detriment to the program
and other students, we will ask you to come pick them up from camp. If you
send your child to camp, you must be ready and willing to come pick them
up, day or night, if they become a discipline issue. Here
is our Discipline
Form.
Forms
Please take the time to talk with your child about the camp
experience and then complete these following forms:
Health/Consent Form:
completed and signed.
Medication
Form: if your child is bringing medication of any kind, even over
the counter or vitamins, please complete and sign this form. If the medication is prescription, remember to have your doctor sign it as
well. Give all medication directly to your teacher!
Discipline Form: make sure both you and your child read and sign this form.
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Forms
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Emergencies
We spend a good deal of time preparing for emergencies. During our
training and weekly inservices, we discuss evacuation and treatment
procedures and initiate detailed role plays to simulate situations. Within
24 hours of arrival, all students and instructors participate in an
emergency evacuation drill. All instructors carry with them a complete
first response kit, with supplies ready to deal with emergencies. They
also carry with them a flashlight and a UHF based radio, allowing them
constant contact with support personnel at camp.
Student Parent Contact
Mail sent by the students will be
put in a mailbox every day, so
encourage your child to write home. Because we have so many students at
camp and so few phones, students are not allowed to make or receive phone
calls except in the case of an emergency. And because we believe that camp
is a place for children to discover more about themselves in a new
and safe environment, parents are not allowed to visit camp while their child is
present. If you would like to take a look at the camp before your child’s
week at camp, let us know and we can arrange a good time for you to visit.
Can I Mail My Child A
Letter?
Nothing is better than receiving an old fashioned, Post Office mailed letter during a stay at High Trails. We will deliver all
letters (no packages) on a daily basis, generally right before bedtime.
Letters should be sent at least 5 days in advance. Letters arriving before
your students' stay at camp will be kept until they arrived. Letters
arriving after students leave will be marked Return To Sender and placed
back into the mail system. Our mailbox is
close but our Post Office is far away; because of this, please ensure
that your letter does not require a signature upon receipt.
For the
correct address, please ask your school what site your student will be
attending.
We do not accept or deliver faxes/emails to students.
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Nawakwa |
Child’s Name, __________ Elementary School
High
Trails
4650 Jenks Lake Road East
Angelus Oaks, Ca 92305 |
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Edwards |
Child’s Name,
__________ Elementary School
High Trails
42842 Jenks Lake Road East
Angelus Oaks , California 92305 |
More
Questions?
If you have more questions, first ask your teachers, and then explore this
website. After that, give us a holler; you can find our contact
information here: Contact Us
