Wayfarer Teen Program (Ages 14-16)

Fall 2026

 
 

Wayfarer is an immersive weekend program for youth ages 14–16 designed to foster confidence, resilience, wilderness skills, and meaningful connection through outdoor adventure and community.

Students spend weekends at our forest campus in Port Townsend and in wild places throughout the Olympic Peninsula, learning through hands-on experience alongside supportive mentors and peers.

Through outdoor living skills, nature observation, teamwork, storytelling, games, and shared challenge, participants develop greater self-awareness, independence, and a deeper sense of belonging in the natural world.

 
 

What Students Will Experience

Students develop practical skills and confidence through direct experience, including:

  • Fire-making and shelter building

  • Wilderness living and outdoor survival skills

  • Wildlife tracking and animal awareness

  • Bird language and nature observation

  • Identification and uses of edible and medicinal plants

  • Safe navigation on and off trail

  • Leadership, communication, and teamwork skills

  • Community building, problem-solving, and personal growth

 
 

Our Educational Approach

At CedarRoot, we believe meaningful learning happens through curiosity, relationship, and direct experience. Our mentors guide rather than lecture, helping students discover knowledge through exploration, challenge, and reflection.

‍ Our programs are rooted in

  • Hands-on, experiential learning in nature

  • Seasonal and place-based curriculum

  • Play, exploration, and curiosity-driven discovery

  • Social-emotional growth within a supportive community

  • Mentorship that encourages confidence, responsibility, and leadership

  • Critical thinking and creative problem-solving

 

Our programs encourage students to slow down, pay attention, and build deeper relationships with the natural world while discovering their own strengths, creativity, and capabilities in an environment that is both supportive and appropriately challenging.

 

Program Logistics

 

  • Weekends take place either:

    • in and around Port Townsend (students provide transportation)

    • at expedition locations on the Olympic peninsula (CedarRoot provides transportation)

  • Instructors provide detailed meeting information before each program weekend

  • CedarRoot provides Saturday dinner; students bring all other meals and snacks.

  • We may not be able to accommodate all dietary needs. Please contact instructors after registration with any specific questions or concerns.

Fall Program Dates

  • September 25–27

  • October 16–18

  • November 13–15

  • December 4–6

All weekends run from Friday at 6pm through Sunday at 3pm.

Tuition: $1,450

Partial to full scholarships available

 
 

Wayfarer’s Instructional Team

  • Includes experienced mentors, volunteers, and apprentice instructors

    • Lead Instructors: Ramzy Berbawy and Thuja Noba (bios below)

  • Holds current Wilderness First Aid and CPR certifications

  • Brings extensive experience in wilderness skills and youth mentorship

  • Supports each student with compassion, respect, and encouragement

  • Maintains approximately a 1:6 adult-to-student ratio

 
REGISTration page
 

Meet Your Instructors

 

Ramzy Berbawy — Lead Instructor for School-year and Summer Youth Programs

Ramzy’s naturalist journey began stargazing on a football field, sparking a deep passion for the outdoors. He’s since worked on small farms across the Olympic Peninsula and Methow Valley, where he deepened his connection to the land. Ramzy has completed the Wildlife Tracking Intensive with the Wilderness Awareness School and CedarRoot’s Wildlife Tracking Immersion.

Ramzy is now in his fifth year as a youth nature studies instructor with CedarRoot and is also involved in adult programming. His hands-on approach and passion for nature inspire his students, equipping them with practical skills and a lasting connection to the wild world around them.

 

Thuja Noba — Instructor for School-year Youth Programs

Thuja grew up on Duwamish territory, in what’s now known as West Seattle. Her love for nature connection began through permaculture studies and naturalist training at Fairhaven College in Bellingham. A life-changing immersion in regenerative farming followed, leading her to study and work on farms across the country.

Over the past three years, Thuja has been with the Wilderness Awareness School (WAS)—first as a student in their nine-month adult program, then as staff working with youth, and later training to mentor adults in nature connection. She’s also spent the last two years with Rites of Passage Journeys, supporting transformative experiences that help people reconnect with land, self, and community.

After two years away, Thuja recently returned to the peninsula and joined the CedarRoot team, completing her first year. She is thrilled to be back and to be continuing the work she loves.