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    • Home
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    • Lead a Community
    • Get Involved
    • FAQ
    • Become a Barefooter
    • BU Store
    • Contact Us
  • Home
  • About Us
  • BU Learning
  • Find a Community
  • Lead a Community
  • Get Involved
  • FAQ
  • Become a Barefooter
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  • Contact Us
Barefoot University

Outdoor Classrooms • Barefoot Kids • Endless Possibilities

Outdoor Classrooms • Barefoot Kids • Endless PossibilitiesOutdoor Classrooms • Barefoot Kids • Endless Possibilities

Why Lead?

  • Ensure you have community to do life with 
  • Impact the mental health and love for nature in children 
  • Molding children who find joy in serving others 
  • Be in control of your meeting day/time/location 
  • Help provide a community for those who can’t do it themselves

Community Leaders Quick Facts

Support

Benefits

Benefits

Community Leaders never walk through leadership alone. Each community has a team of two leaders to help support and hold each other accountable when directing the group. 


We will provide you with training, educational tools, access to special resources, a leaders manual, and guidelines to start and grow your community. 


Our leadership guide

Community Leaders never walk through leadership alone. Each community has a team of two leaders to help support and hold each other accountable when directing the group. 


We will provide you with training, educational tools, access to special resources, a leaders manual, and guidelines to start and grow your community. 


Our leadership guide 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. 


Benefits

Benefits

Benefits

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! 

Requirements

There is no teaching

There is no teaching

Community Leaders must: 


  • Be at least 16 years old (to serve as a Junior leader with an adult)
  • Have one child/grandchild eligible for BU 
  • Visit a current BU group if there is one within a 60 mile radius
  • Pass an annual background check
  • Sign a BU volunteer agreement
  • Commit to serving for one school year
  • Be of good moral character and enthusiastic a

Community Leaders must: 


  • Be at least 16 years old (to serve as a Junior leader with an adult)
  • Have one child/grandchild eligible for BU 
  • Visit a current BU group if there is one within a 60 mile radius
  • Pass an annual background check
  • Sign a BU volunteer agreement
  • Commit to serving for one school year
  • Be of good moral character and enthusiastic about nature and the great outdoors
  • Agree to the BU volunteer code of conduct 

There is no teaching

There is no teaching

There is no teaching


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. This requires you to communicate the weekly instructions and lead. But there are no lesson plans! At Barefoot University, we believe that parents are their child's teacher.

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. 

Frequently Asked Questions

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. 


We try to spread communities out to reach other families. If you’re wanting a group in the same area as another, we will asses 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. 


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 adverting 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.


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 at. For liability reasons, Barefoot University groups can not meet on private property. 


We do not open year long, rhythm groups for enrollment after June 1 each year. 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 that apply late will be considered for mid-year groups. Mid year groups participate an condensed forest school program, not the current rhythm. 


Become a Leader

Step One: Register for an Interest Meeting

This is a mandatory meeting for anyone wanting to start a group for the 2023-24 school year. You and your co-leader must both attend.

Register Now

Step Two: Apply to be a Community Leader

Application links are distributed during leader interest meetings.

Applications will only be held for two weeks. DO NOT APPLY unless you have a co-leader also completing the application. Please complete your background check with your application. (below)

Once your team is in place and applications and background checks have been received, you will receive an email to schedule an interview. 

Step Three: Complete a Background Check

Login and complete your annual background check. It is $6 to complete and we will be automatically notified when it’s done. 

Complete it now

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