Your travel from your home to and from the meeting point in Palmer, AK. Accommodation in Anchorage before and after the course if needed.  Equipment (see details HERE).

Although we believe in the power of the outdoors to help with many challenges in life there may be many reasons why this program is not ideal for you.  Know that we are not a Wilderness Therapy Program.  We are not a place where a young person should come if they have mental health issues that are not yet safely managed at home.  WE do not have a psychiatrist or a counselor on staff and although our instructors are skilled in many things, Mental Health crisis in the backcountry is not something we are equipped to handle.

MOI is a dry, zero-tolerance program, period. There are no second chances when it comes to such substances and that includes tobacco.  If your teen is caught with these substances it is an immediate removal of the program and you will be required to come get your teen immediately.

If your teen is homeschooled, you can absolutely apply credit. If your teen is in public school, we can work with your counselor to provide credit, but nothing official is established to date.

This school is experiential; our pillars are built around doing and experiencing.  What most of our students walk away with is a new and stronger sense of self confidence, a new understanding of team, community, collaboration and problem solving.  This translates into strong leadership skills by having personally experienced, outside the classroom or work environment, what challenge and teamwork look like.  These skills serve our students by allowing them to experience enhanced performance in job interviews, school interviews, collaborative work environments, outdoor recreation endeavors, test performance and many other daily endeavors.

Students also come away with a much greater understanding of wilderness, recreation, survival, and travel.  The hard skills we learn have applications in all arenas of life but they directly translate to your ability to handle yourself and help others on any outdoor recreation journey.

Learn all ABOUT US!

All about RISK.

Allergies, food preferences and other dietary restrictions must be shared with MOI in the application process so that we may have an honest discussion about the realities of joining. For example, a severe peanut allergy could be very problematic since many of the snacks could be peanut based and cross contamination will be impossible to avoid.

With a flexible attitude many, but not all, dietary preferences can be accommodated. For example, Vegetarianism is not a problem.  A strict vegan diet cannot be accommodated.  

Our Base Camp is in Glacier View approximately 100 miles from Anchorage.

Our standard pick-up and drop off location for students is in Palmer, Alaska approximately 45 miles from Anchorage. To accommodate busy parents in Anchorage or students flying in we offer Anchorage and airport pick ups for a small additional fee.  

The first day of the Course as listed on the website and in booking is the “town and pick up day.”  This is “Day 1”. Most of this day is spent collecting all of the students and taking care of any last minute errands in the city before getting to our Base Camp around dinner time.  This plan enables us to get a fresh start and have a full day of our program on Day 2 of the Course.  

Below you’ll see a typical pick up and drop off schedule. This may vary slightly.  We will confirm the exact times for your Course one week in advance.  

Day 1:  

10:00 AM to 4:30 PM – Anchorage airport pick ups as needed

4:00 PM – REI Anchorage Pick-up

5:30 PM – Fred Meyer Palmer Pick-up

7:00 PM – Arrive at MOI Base Camp

 

On the last day of the Course:

1:00 PM Clean camp and pack up after lunch

2:30 PM – Drop off at Fred Meyer in Palmer

3:30 PM – Drop off at REI in Anchorage

3:30 PM – 7:00 PM: Drop off at Anchorage airport, check in unaccompanied minors. 

Your student may be flying as an Adult or as an “Unaccompanied Minor”.  Every airline has different requirements and it is up to the parents/caregivers to understand and comply with these requirements.  

Airport pick ups will be between 10:00 AM and 4:30 PM on Day 1 of the Course.  For unaccompanied minors, our Instructors will pick up the student at the airport in compliance with airport security and airline requirements.  We will correspond with you on full details for this pick up.  

Students flying as an unaccompanied minor will ONLY be picked up by MOI in the above time frame.  

Students arriving in the morning will experience a “town day” with the Instructors; shopping for the course and other errands. Students may need their own pocket money for the day. 

Return Flights

Departures should be no earlier than 6:00 PM on the last day of the course.  We can drop-off or check in unaccompanied minors between 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM.   Sorry but we cannot drop off later than 7:00 PM and we have no ability to support a young student overnight after the course.

Students traveling as an Adult

If your student is old enough and mature enough to travel as an Adult, it may be more convenient to arrive the night before Day 1 of the Course.  We can help with selection of an appropriate hotel or AirBNB near the airport with a shuttle and restaurant options.  We would also be able to pick up the student at their accommodation if it is in Anchorage.  

Delays and other special circumstances

For flight delays, lost baggage and other situations we will do all that we can to work with parents to handle the problem.  The safety of the student, especially if traveling as an unaccompanied minor, is our highest priority.  Any additional expenses however will be the responsibility of the family.  

We do our best to make reasonable accommodations for disabilities or chronic injuries without fundamentally altering the nature of the experience for everyone. We’re happy to discuss on a case-by-case basis. Reach out if you have specific questions.

Students must commit to showing up to join us healthy, fit and stoked for the challenges ahead. The days will be full and long… and it doesn’t get dark. Our camp is basic and the backcountry is rough. This is not the place to be sick or recovering.

Our community is tight and your team will be together 24/7. You will primarily be outside but will also be sharing meals, tents and vehicles. “Social Distancing” is impossible or impractical.

Students who take prescription medications need to be able to self-manage. This means carrying and caring for the medication and self-administering medication at appropriate dosages/intervals without instructor supervision. If loss of medication could be problematic, program instructors can carry a backup/emergency supply of medication. No provisions will be made for temperature controlled storage of medications.