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Community Leaders never walk through leadership alone. Each community has a team of two leaders to help support and hold each other accountable when facilitating the group.
We will provide you with training, educational tools, access to special resources, leader training, and guidelines to start and grow your community.
Our leadership tra
Community Leaders never walk through leadership alone. Each community has a team of two leaders to help support and hold each other accountable when facilitating the group.
We will provide you with training, educational tools, access to special resources, leader training, and guidelines to start and grow your community.
Our leadership training will cover everything to get you started and organize your group. You have access to Community Leader support services where we will help answer questions.
Being a Barefoot University Community Leader will benefit you more than you can imagine. There’s something special about being in charge of your child’s education and becoming a Leader will ensure you are part of a community to help you along the way.
Community Leaders receive free BU merch, BU store discounts, anniversary gifts, and more!
Community Leaders must:
Community Leaders must:
One of the most common questions we get from potential leaders is, “Do I have to teach?” The answer is no. You facilitate the activities and encourage participation. Barefoot is designed to be an invitation to learn. You will extend that invitation to your community.
This requires you to communicate the weekly instructions, facilitate the
One of the most common questions we get from potential leaders is, “Do I have to teach?” The answer is no. You facilitate the activities and encourage participation. Barefoot is designed to be an invitation to learn. You will extend that invitation to your community.
This requires you to communicate the weekly instructions, facilitate the activity, and organize your meet up. But there are no lesson plans! At Barefoot University, we believe that parents are their children's teachers.
Leaders have access to activity instructions and pointers they can share with their families before forest school.
We also want our leaders to enjoy doing the activity with their own child(ren), so we aim to keep it simple for everyone.
It’s free! BU provides most of the activity supplies with the occasional requests for families to bring something from home that they likely already have. (ie: scissors, pencils, etc.)
Yes, we are a 501(c)3 non-profit. All of our groups and volunteers are insured.
Start by attending a leaders' interest meeting. After that, fill out an application and you will be contacted for an interview. If you are selected to become a leader, you will need to pass a background check ($6 costs). Once you and your co-leader have completed this step, you will receive an email to do new leader paperwork and visit a local group.
Yes. We try to spread communities out to reach other families. If you want a group in the same area as another, we will assess the current group enrollment, location, city, etc. to see if the area can support another group. Generally, we suggest parks be spread out by about 10 miles in urban areas and 30 mins in rural areas.
We only open a group with two leaders. Other families are encouraged to help out in your community each week. Leaders must reside in different households.
We recommend posting about BU in local mom or homeschooling groups and just asking if anyone wants to start a group with you. Several of our leaders started this way and it’s been a success.
Share our posts advertising enrollment, open house events, and yearly rhythms in local homeschool or co-op groups and on your personal page. Let people know about BU when families ask about nature, enrichment, science, or social groups. Leaders also have access to promotional graphics and marketing tips.
Communities may meet at city, state, county, or other free-to-use parks, trailheads, beaches, green spaces, etc. All groups must obtain permission from the place you wish to meet. For liability reasons, Barefoot University groups can not meet on private property.
We do not open year-long groups for enrollment after May 1. That means that all application paperwork, interviews, and other document must be completed prior to that date. Deadlines will be given during the leader interest meeting. Applicants who apply late will be considered for mid-year groups. Mid-year groups participate in a condensed forest school program, not the current rhythm.
This is a mandatory meeting for anyone wanting to start a group. You and your co-leader must both attend. Please fill out this form to be contacted about our meetings in for the 2024-25 school year.
Application links are distributed during leader interest meetings.
Applications will only be held for 30 days. DO NOT APPLY unless you have a co-leader also completing the application. If your application is chosen to proceed, you and your co-leader will receive a follow-up email to schedule an interview.
If you are selected as a BU leader, we require general and rhythm-specific training twice a year. In addition to this, there are ongoing training opportunities, meetings, and requirements.
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Barefoot University Forest School is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.