Teen Leadership Program
The Teen Leadership Program is a new chapter in Laughing Coyote’s story, where we are taking the lessons learned over nearly twenty years of teaching primitive skills, and raising a new group of leaders to teach earth skills to youth. For teens passionate about primitive skills, this program will give them an opportunity to deepen their knowledge through intensive training and expeditions, then give back by teaching the next generation of students.
“What is real?” This is the question of the times. We are living on the edge of the physical and virtual world, and this is a challenging dance to navigate. For teens, for the future leaders and innovators, this question is particularly relevant. What is the world they will inherit? What skills are necessary in the future?
Some things remain the same. Human civilization rests on the natural world. Understanding the relationships of our wild surroundings creates deep personal connections. Primitive skills are the pathway for humans to participate in nature. Reaching deep into the past brings us face to face with the principles that are essential for life. Cutting edges, food, shelter, water. When we strip away the complexities of modern technology, and work with the tools of our ancestors, we unlock the essential qualities necessary to navigate unknown territory. Creativity, resilience, teamwork, problem solving. These capacities are intrinsic to the practice of primitive skills.
Our new Teen Leadership Program is the path for driven teens to develop these skills. They will experience personal mentorship while learning primitive and earth skills. Then the skills will be field tested, going from theory to potent personal practice. Then they will bring the skills back to the next generation, and under the tutelage of experienced Laughing Coyote instructors, learn to teach youth. Through this program they will go from learning to application, to being the catalyst of learning for those that follow.
Participants will commit to working as a CIT in Laughing Coyote Programs, either in the homeschool programs throughout the year, or summer camps. They will also attend the two annual expeditions each year. To learn more about these adventures, please check the Expeditions page.
This program involves a yearly commitment. There will be essential learning opportunities, adventure and teaching responsibilities built into the year. For each year completed, participants will receive a certificate, marking the skills they have developed and their experience instructing youth programs.
To apply, please email programs@laughingcoyoteproject.org