Our program provides transportation for student leaders from two bus locations: one in Beaverton and one in Salem. Transportation to each of our five sites (Meriwether, Magruder, Cedar Ridge. Trickle Creek and Arrah Wanna) is provided from the Beaverton location. The bus that stops in Salem only goes to Trickle Creek, so most student Leaders use the bus location in Beaverton.

Please see the Student Leader Bus schedules below for more information.

• Student Leader Buses - Beaverton Location & Times
• Student Leader Buses - Salem Location & Times

Usually no. We do not allow student leaders to drive themselves to outdoor school sites for safety reasons. If you need to leave early or arrive late for a medical appointment or similar reason, etc., please email our volunteer coordination team at ods@nwresd.k12.or.us.

Our student leaders' safety as well as maximizing training and time spent building relationships within the group are the driving forces behind this policy. The routes leading to our locations, particularly those on the coast, are isolated, winding, and hazardous after dark and during inclement weather. Additionally, the routes have very spotty cell phone reception. Moreover, our team begins "on-site" training on the bus while riding with student leaders. During this time, they teach games, songs, brainteasers, and share site-specific information and expectations. Student leaders should use this bus trip as an opportunity to introduce themselves and claim their camp name. 

We are happy to address any special reasons you may have for needing to provide your own transportation to your assigned site. Please email our volunteer coordination team at ods@nwresd.k12.or.us. Note that if you have a legitimate reason to drive to site, our office team will need time to get the request approved by the site supervisor and make the necessary arrangements.

Usually, yes. We do our best to assign student leaders to the same site and week as one or two of their friends.

No. We do not allow friends to co-lead the same cabin group.

Student leaders are responsible for supervising and engaging the students in their cabin and need to primarily focus on this obligation. You will still have time to socialize with friends during the week at set times.

No. As of June 17, 2023, the COVID-19 vaccination requirement is no longer in effect.

You must be at least a high school sophomore in good standing to participate. We welcome sophomores, juniors and seniors who are in good academic standing, as well as recent graduates and college students. On occasion, we do allow high school freshmen to volunteer with additional counselor recommendations. 

Please note that individual high schools sometimes impose their own restrictions, usually involving minimum grade point averages and attendance rates. 

We also welcome high school graduates and college students, who completed the required FREE Background Check Application process. The paperwork is quick, but it sometimes take two weeks to get results back. Plan accordingly and email ods@nwresd.k12.or.us with questions.

Sometimes, maybe. Each of our outdoor school sites has a different policy about Crocs. Some sites do not allow them at all while others only allow them in certain areas or during specific activities.

Student leaders are required to bring at least one pair of sturdy, closed-toed shoes. Crocs do not qualify.

No. Our site supervisors prefer that you leave your smart watches at home. You can find basic, affordable watches online or in stores like Walmart. Our program has a limited number of watches that student leaders can borrow, if you are unable to provide your own. 

If you choose to bring your smart watch, you’ll be required to turn off all data capabilities. If the staff notice that your smart watch is a distraction for you or the people around you, it will be kept with other “contraband,” including cell phones until the end of the week. You’ll have access to these items during scheduled student leader free time.

Our program is not responsible for any property that is damaged, lost or stolen.

Yes! Beads are a significant part of our history and culture, an excellent incentive for students to engage, and a great tool for positive reinforcement. We have beads that student leaders give to sixth graders for specific activities and achievements, so you do not have to bring your own.

A few key notes if you choose to bring your own:

• Do not spend more than $5.

• Students keep the beads they earn on standard safety pins, which are attached to their name tags. If you choose to bring beads that will not fit on a safety pin, please also bring an easy way of attaching your bead.

• Limit your supply to 20 to 30 beads.

• Decide how others earn your bead. The task or challenge can be as silly and/or as difficult as you’d like.

The bead economy is very real at Outdoor School - the more you bring and distribute, the less valuable your bead is. Again, beads must be earned, not given away freely. We don’t want beads to become a distraction or a popularity contest, so please distribute beads during appropriate times. Ask the staff on site about their rules and preferences for bead culture.

We credit student leaders with 100 hours of volunteer service for every week they volunteer. You'll receive a signed certificate at the end of the week certifying your hours.

Please note that individual schools and outside programs sometimes restrict how many of the hours certified by our program they will accept toward graduation requirements and/or service learning hours.

We aim for a 1:8 student leader to sixth grader ratio. However, some students could be responsible for up to 14 students and might or might not have a co-leader. These numbers depend on the week and the site and how many other high school and college volunteers are participating that week.

Field studies are hands-on, exploration centered, and student driven. After an introduction to outdoor science education, the students get to decide what they’d like to investigate further and will share what they discover with their peers at the end of the week. 

See the Student Leader Handbook for more information on field study.

Not right now. But we are currently working on a dual credit system and agreement with Portland Community College and our partner high schools. We'll make an announcement about this when we have more details on how it'll work for our high school student leaders.

Weeks that overlap with the following events are the hardest for us to fill:

• homecoming
• finals
• AP, SAT and ACT testing
• graduation
• high school sports playoffs and regional and national meets/competitions
• proms

We'll give it a try. If you are asking about how much walking you'll do at each site, the answer is pretty standard regardless of where you go. 

We estimate that you'll walk an average of 5 to 6 miles a day. 

If you're looking for information about how spread out activities are or how many hills there are, see the information below.

Ranked by how spread out the activities are (1=most spread out, 5=least spread out)

1. Cedar Ridge
2. Trickle Creek
3. Arrah Wanna
4. Magruder
5. Meriwether

Ranked by number and size of hills (1=least, smallest hills, 5=most, steepest hills) 

1. Magruder
2. Arrah Wanna
3. Trickle Creek
4. Cedar Ridge
5. Meriwether

If you’re trying to figure out how to rank your site preferences in the student leader registration form, take a look at the site comparison chart in the “Where is Outdoor School?” section of our Student Leader handbook. You can also check out each site on Instagram - @arrahwanna.ods @cedarridge.ods @tricklecreek_ods @ods.magruder @meriwether.ods

The following three sites are located in the forest: 

• Arrah Wanna (located in Welches, Oregon)
• Cedar Ridge (located in Vernonia, Oregon)
• Trickle Creek (located in Salem, Oregon)

The following two sites are on the coast:

• Magruder (located in Rockaway Beach, Oregon)
• Meriwether (located in Cloverdale, Oregon)

As the flattest sites, Arrah Wanna and Magruder are the best fit for people who may require reasonable ADA accommodations for walking/mobility so there may be limited space for those outside ADA who prefer these sites. We balance preferences and needs the best we can. 

We know you want a Buzzfeed quiz with a straight answer. While we think that could be a lot of fun to make, it wouldn’t be very helpful for you or our program. We encourage you to be open minded, flexible, willing to go where you are most needed during the week(s) you are available to volunteer.