Scholarship Process
Scholarships are available until 2 weeks before programs begin. After that you can still fill out a form but it may need to apply to the following season or will depend on funds available.
1. APPLY HERE (you can apply anytime, but you have a better chance if you apply before registration opens for the season).
2. REGISTER WITH CODE – Once we receive your application we will award the scholarship with a code to register, sent to you in an email.
3. WAITLIST – If a program is full, please register to the waitlist and we can either transfer you into a reserved spot or wait until a spot opens. This is not guaranteed.
To provide nature connection for diverse populations, we want to make our programs available to ALL children, regardless of ability to pay. We would like to assist as many families as possible with our small scholarship fund, so please consider how much you can contribute to your child’s experience. If you need a scholarship, know that we have a limited number of funds for each tier. We do reserve spots for scholarship children, so if there are no spots available, your application can be applied to the next available program or season.
DONATIONS: If you believe time in nature is one of the best gifts we can give our children and our community for a sustainable future, make a donation to our scholarship fund and become part of our supporting community – and Thanks!
Pricing
We are working hard to create accessible and affordable programs, and in so doing we have to raise money for reduced rate offerings and scholarships. We offer programs through the Boys & Girls Clubs, local Title 1 schools, and underserved families. Please support our efforts with your registration, added donations and volunteering. To offer the quality and consistency we strive for, we are equally committed to providing the highest quality staff, leadership opportunities for under represented leadership, and professional development, which requires a truly competitive employment opportunity.
What do the fees pay for?
– 40% is for a 4:1 ratio children to staff. This is highly unusual in childcare programs, but necessary since we visit wild spaces and offer child-centered experiences. We need more eyes for safety and more relationship building opportunities for connection and teachable moments.
– 35% is for our small group size of 8 – 12 kids. For the sake of the natural spaces, non-human wildlife, and the opportunities for nature connection.
– 25% is for sustainability and program development. Every season staff is developing curriculum and wildly engaging and meaningful experiences for your children. To meet the growing nature needs of our local communities, we are growing our staff which need to be trained and experienced…not to mention amazing human beings! We are also working to develop educational lands and program access and equity.
We offer a sliding scale and scholarships, allowing our community to participate in bridging the equity gap. Families with the ability to pay more help families that are less able. More than grants or endowments or big donations, we think this is a beautiful way for us to work together as a community to solve a systemic and historical problem of inequity and environmental racism. We know that the planet needs us ALL to love and care for nature.
We hope you experience the extra special care we take with children and parents, and the resulting relationships and memories, let alone the knowledge and awareness instilled about nature, self and others. We are working on it, and welcome your ideas, concerns and support. Thanks for reading this!
Ventura Wild provides a uniquely “wild” experience, and while exploring creeks and canyons doesn’t require much in costly equipment or supplies, it does require a uniquely qualified staff of leaders, and a 4:1 ratio children to staff! This means we can actually spend time with each child and do real adventuring and real mentoring in real wild places with the unknowns of nature a part of the learning and growing experience.
We offer a sliding scale and scholarships, allowing our community to participate in bridging the equity gap. Families with the ability to pay more help families that are less able. More than grants or endowments or big donations, we think this is a beautiful way for us to work together as a community to solve a systemic and historical problem of inequity and environmental racism. It used to be beautiful places were for the rich, now we know that the planet needs us ALL to love and care for these places.