"Now I see the secret of making the best person. It is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth."
--Walt Whitman
As I continue to teach, it has become evident to me that many of the basic fundamentals of life are not being learned by our students. Success in college and in the world is based on the understanding and use of common sense and learned behavior. Jill and I have developed a summer school program that gets students away from the distractions of home and focuses on building the important language skills students will need to be successful in high school and college as well as the skills necessary to remain safe while enjoying Alaska's Wilderness.
The Instructors:
Gary and Jill Leiter have lived, hiked, and camped in Alaska since 1981. Gary has his Master's degree in Education and Jill is working on a Master's degree in Counseling. Gary is a certified teacher and has taught for 17 years. Jill has a degree in counseling, has taught school, and has worked at several camps over the years. Gary and Jill have taken teen groups on backpacking trips as well as canoe trips for more than fifteen years. They have owned and operated a backpack guiding buisiness and have contracted backpacking trips for a local air charter as well as area Bed and Breakfasts. Gary and Jill have worked at, and managed lodges on the west side of Cook Inlet specializing in bear viewing and ecotourism. They have also designed and led Outdoor Education courses during the school year and summers for teens in the area for the past 9 years. Gary is also certified as a fishing vessel drill instructor, and a U.S. Coast Guard-accepted marine safety instructor. He also has his "operator of uninspected passenger vessel" (6-pack) license.
Cold Water Safety and Survival Training May 23--29 and June 1-7
Wilderness is a teacher. It is a living classroom in which knowledge about ourselves and our surroundings are waiting to be learned. The best way to learn about the Wilderness is to go there. First-hand experiences are far more powerful than second-hand classroom experiences. The time spent in the Wilderness will lead students to an appreciation of the Wilderness giving them a desire to act as good stewards of it.
The Environmental Science Classes at Cook Inlet Academy have been developed to help students learn to appreciate and enjoy the Alaskan Wilderness. The philosophy of the program is based on conservation. We believe that the Wilderness can be used and enjoyed without harming it. We teach students these principles so the Wilderness will be available to others and future generations.
The feeling of accomplishment is great when you are overcoming obstacles as a group.
Learning map reading and compass use are necessary when hiking in Alaska's wilderness
