Updated April 2018
What It Is And How It Works
The Journeyman Certification Program is a standards-based outdoor skill certification consisting of specific requirements and documentation standards for those seeking professional certification and recognition from the Jack Mountain Bushcraft School. Completing all requirements means that you have what we consider to be the MINIMUM SKILL LEVEL necessary to lead trips and travel through remote areas safely. In order to be recognized, you will need to complete all the benchmarks listed below in a manner consistent with our standards. Simply completing a semester course does not mean that you are at the journeyman level of experience.
All work must be completed during the associated field course. It is difficult and not everyone will meet the requirements. Because we wouldn’t want to devalue the achievement of people who have completed the Journeyman, we will not make exceptions on the requirements. Making exceptions cheapens everyone involved.
The work is standard-based. Simply put, if you don’t meet the standards, you don’t receive the certification.
Journeyman Certification Requirements
Required Field Course
The Journeyman Certification is meant to be completed during the Wilderness Bushcraft Semester. While intended to be within the scope of the course, our certifications are challenging and will require significant physical and academic effort to complete in 9 weeks.
Documentation
There are very specific and stringent documentation parameters for all our certifications and candidates will need to follow these parameters carefully in order to be recognized. Explanations and outlines for all required coursework can be found in “The Student Handbook”, “First Person Ecology”, and “The Journeyman Workbook”. Once completed, students will assemble all of their work into a final portfolio. Documentation will include:
- Logbook – Completed, typed and signed by instructor
- First Person Ecology research – Completed and verified by instructor
- Practical skills testing rubrics – Graded and signed by instructor (must receive a passing grade for ALL EXAMS)
- Trip planning paperwork
- Outlines from “The Journeyman Workbook” – Completed and verified by instructor
Specific Requirements
During the field courses students will learn a variety of skills and techniques. Each of these are broken down into one of the seven elements of our programs (Skill, Journey, Craft, Nature, Culture, Sustainability and Self). In order to received the Journeyman Certification, students will need to complete all the items required. The goal is verified skill, experience and research.
Tuition
Enrollment in the Journeyman Certification Program costs $100 in addition to tyhe Wilderness Bushcraft Semester course tuition. This covers the Journeyman workbook and all required testing.
Journeyman FAQ
Can I finish the requirements for the Journeyman Certification at home after the course? No. As this is a standards-based certification, completion at home raises many problems and questions. First, how do we verify that a skill meets the standard required? Second, being able to finish at home allows a person to not use their time wisely and still receive the certification at the end of the process. This is NOT something we want to encourage. All of the people who have completed the Journeyman Certification have done so during the course at the field school.
