Students should bring TWO pairs of shoes for walking on trails. This is so students can have a wet pair for hiking and a dry pair for on campus.

 

Some families purchase new shoes. That means they have fresh tread to decrease slipping, but can cause blisters if they have not been broken in [or if students choose not to wear socks!]. Students do not need to purchase hiking shoes/boots JUST for Sly Park. Regular sneakers will work in most conditions. Converse and Vans (or similar styles) tend to have thin soles that cause sore feet from all the rocks and not great gription for getting down a hill safely. They do work just fine on campus. 

 

As your date approaches, encourage students to wear their Sly Park shoes to school for "inspection". 

 

Please note that there is a "Loaner Locker" to supply students with gear they may not have remembered to bring. 

 

Check out these videos about footwear: (COMING SOON)

The physical challenges at Sly Park are not just about walking. The forest is our classroom! Most of the non-walking time on the trail does not even involve sitting.

Not everyone is prepared to stand for long periods of time-especially Americans [check out this short video about the American Lean...it's a thing].

Let's get your body prepped to support you more than ever while you're at Sly Park.

 

 

Sly Park is a big campus and students will be on their feet much of their day. If students are not used to this lifestyle, it can be an added challenge to the week. Here are some ways to help build endurance in your students. 

 

Sly Park is an Outdoor School. We rejoice in educating indoor students how to survive, and possibly even thrive in rain, heat, or snow. We recognize that many students do not know how to dress themselves for the conditions. Our highly skilled staff works hard to support students in learning to be aware of the conditions and be prepared.

 

Any work you do with your class in advance will greatly benefit their level comfort. Here are some ideas:

 

Please note that there is a "Loaner Locker" to supply students with gear they may need to stay warm enough while at Sly Park. 

Sly Park is an Outdoor School and continues to operate outdoors in the rain. In the event of nearby lightning, program is delayed until the cell passes. Students may bring their own rain gear or are provided loaner ponchos for the trail. 

 

Sly Park can provide re-purposed bread bags for students to turn regular sneakers into waterproof shoes. 

 

If it might rain or snow during your visit, here is an activity that might help your students unerstand the limitations of a cotton or polyester hoodie:

 

 

 

We are proud to provide a program in which students have the opportunity to share a cabin and a hiking group with students from other schools. These schools may have very different demographics or quite similar. Regardless, they are all hear for a once in a lifetime experience. 

 

With over 55 years of working with students in these conditions, we work hard on campus to create a unified environment, emphasizing we are all students at ONE SCHOOL. 

An amazing teacher team at Caleb Greenwood Elementary have prepared a slide deck they use to facilitate discussions before coming to Sly Park. It has prompts for converstaions with your students regarding several situations that might arise in meeting new people. They have shared it with you for you to use as is, or to adapt for your particular class. 

Here is a video you can show for students to preview their accommodations.

 

Here is a student journal you can start with you class BEFORE arriving to Sly Park, and continue while  at Sly Park. 

 

 

Sly Park is a school, and requires appropriate student behavior ALL DAY and NIGHT. 

 

Please preview our Student Behavior Expectations with your class

Homesickness is a real thing. Here are a few ideas to help minimize issues while on campus: