Expedition Instructor Program. 6-Month, Full-Time, Professional Residential Training

The Expedition Instructor program (XI). Designed for future bushcraft instructors, wilderness guides and industry leaders.

The Expedition Instructor Program (XI) is a full-time immersion into becoming a bushcraft/survival instructor and professional wilderness guide. It’s a no BS, no new-age mumbo jumbo, no hand-holding experience that is heavy on academic work and accountability and definitely not for everyone. We’re not trying to appeal to a large audience; we’re looking for a tiny group of people who are determined, coachable, hard workers, and ready for a challenge.  

We do this by combining field experience with academic research and study. The modern world is interested in shallow knowledge and understanding. This program is the opposite – it goes deep.

How is this different from other programs you offer?

Our professional training programs consist of a standards-based curriculum, strict documentation standards, documented reps and benchmarks and field-based practical exams. The goal isn’t just to have a good time and learn some new skills. Instead, it is to master the material, be able to teach it effectively, and use it to lead others as a professional instructor and guide.

Who The Expedition Instructor Program Is For

Our goal is to train future industry leaders and give them a running start. This program is for future guides, instructors and business owners. Our goal is to pass on the skills that have made the Jack Mountain Bushcraft School so successful since we began in the late 1990s. These include the bushcraft, guiding, education, instructional design and business skills.

Why Us? Why Now?

After inventing the long-term program and two successful decades running them, we know what it takes to succeed and lead in the outdoor industry. We’ve seen countless outdoor businesses start, only to disappear after a year or two. Sometimes the reality of owning and running a business doesn’t match up with the fantasy. Sometimes the business model wasn’t viable. Sometimes people didn’t want to put in the hard work necessary to be successful. We’ve learned where the gaps are. We have a proven record of success, and we want to pass on the deep knowledge we’ve learned to the next generation. In bushcraft, in wilderness guiding and in business. In the past we have taught the skills of the woods and waters and hoped that people could figure out the rest. In this program, we’re with you every step of the way. Hope is replaced with documented field experience.

Residential, Based At Our Field School

This program is residential, based at the Jack Mountain field school and along the rivers and among the mountains of northern Maine. Participants live in tents or shelters for the duration of the program. Needless to say, they will learn to do so well.

How It Works

The program progresses through five phases, which can be taken in a single year or broken up over a longer timeline. With each phase is a corresponding certification. Successful completion of the certification is required to continue on to the next phase.

Phase 1 – Wilderness Bushcraft Semester, Journeyman Level 1 Certification, 9-Weeks, Spring And Fall Terms
Phase 1 consists of the Wilderness Bushcraft Semester (WBS), our flagship course, and the Journeyman Certification Program. In addition to our standard curriculum, beginning in 2025 the WBS will include a Wilderness First Aid and CPR course in the tuition, preparing students to register for their Registered Maine Guide Exam administered by the state. 2025 tuition for Phase 1 is $8150.

Phase 2 – Professional Canoe Guide Course, Engagé Levels 1 & 2 Certifications, 3-Weeks, Summer Term
Phase 2 is the Professional Canoe Guide Course (PCG, formerly the Wilderness Canoe Expedition Semester), and the Engagé Expedition Canoe Certification, levels 1 and 2. In the rocky mountains, guides traveled with horses and mules as their beasts of burden. In Maine, the guide is his own beast of burden, and his craft is the canoe. Whether to access remote hunting opportunities, fish remote rivers and lakes, or as a vehicle to get people into the wilderness, canoe skills are something that has defined Registered Maine Guides for generations. They are widely known as the most competent canoeman in north America. But these skills don’t come without a price, and that price is a lot of work, a lot of miles and a lot of sweat. This course trains a guide to plan, prepare and pull of extended remote wilderness trips by canoe. It is designed to teach the prospective guide not only how to pass the test to become a guide, but also how to be successful doing the job. 2025 tuition for Phase 2 is $3900.

Phase 3 – Maine Guide Medic – 2 Weeks, Fall Term
There is a medical education requirement in order to become a Registered Maine Guide. It has been our experience that the standard backcountry medical courses and certifications sound great on paper, but they don’t provide a sufficient level of training or experience to deal with an actual medical situation in a remote setting. We designed the Maine Guide Medic to fill this gap. Students receive extensive training that results in the industry standard Wilderness First Responder certification, but also in those areas we feel the standard WFR is severely lacking for working guides in the back country. As such it is a hybrid of an industry standard course and a course designed by working guides who understand the shortcomings of the industry standards. 2025 tuition for phase 3 is $2400.

Phase 4 – Wilderness Bushcraft Semester Instructor Trainee, Journeyman Level 2 Certification, 9-Weeks
Phase 4 is a deep dive into the backend of the the business of outdoor education and where you begin to build the skill sets that will make you successful in the long run. A deep dive into teaching, learning and instructional design. You will be a teaching assistant on a Wilderness Bushcraft Semester course, which means you will both help with student support and, with guidance, begin to teach on topics you’ve spent months perfecting. As you’ll learn, teaching isn’t just providing information to students – it’s a process based around how they best learn. You’ll learn our process for instructional design that’s allowed us to prosper in this field for over a quarter century. You’ll also be learning how to use media to your advantage. The goal is that by the end of the fall semester you have cemented your understanding of how people learn and how best to reach them, as well as have a solid understanding of the business side. 2025 tuition for Phase 4 is $900. Please note that this course is by invitation only. The way to secure an invitation is to complete the other courses and certifications. Also not that there is a significant amount of academic work in order to remain a student in good standing on this course. Those who fall behind will be washed out of the program. Professional training, professional consequences.

Phase 5 – Boreal Winter Survival Instructor Course – 2 Weeks, Winter Term
Phase 5 is the Boreal Winter Survival Instructor Course (BWS, formerly known as the Boreal Snowshoe Expedition). To survive, teach and guide in winter takes a specialized skill set and a lot of experience. Most modern guiding takes place during the warmer weather, including spring and summer canoeing and fishing, early fall hunting, etc. But traditionally there has been in Maine guiding a whole other side to the calendar; winter. And for those who would guide in winter, there is a specialized skill set necessary to do so safely and responsibly. Our winter programs build on the skill sets developed in our other programs, but incorporating the challenges brought by deep snow and deeper cold. Winter survival, moving your body and equipment using snowshoes and sleds, ice safety, traditional shelters (to include improvised winter shelters heated with open fires and canvas tents outfitted with wood stoves) and winter ecology. 2025 tuition for Phase 5 is $2600.

Phases 1, 2, 3 and 5 are approved by the Maine State Approving Agency for veterans to use educational benefits. College credit is available through Western Colorado University, our academic partner. Phase 4 is not covered.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Register For The Expedition Instructor Program?

The XI is the combination of the programs we already offer. It is not a standalone programs. Students sign up for the component parts (phases) as individual programs. Returning students get preferential treatment for spots.

Do I Have To Pay A Deposit For Each Phase?

Yes, to secure a spot on one of our programs you have to pay a deposit.

Can I Complete The XI Program In A Single Year?

Theoretically yes. Many people have tried this route, but less than 30% have achieved this goal. Taking a longer amount of time to complete the requirements is likely a better route, but the option exists to complete the program in a single year. Definitely phases 1-3 can be completed in a single year.

What Is The Best Order To Complete The Phases In?

From the perspective of learning on deep level, the order we have the program laid out is the best order to complete the phases. Note that if one plans to start with with the Professional Canoe Guide Training Course (phase 2) without previously taking the Wilderness Bushcraft Semester, they must first take the Introduction To Canoe Expedition Skills course in order to get they up to speed so they don’t hold the group back.

Can I Register For All The Courses At Once?

Yes, except for phase 4, the instructor trainee on the Wilderness Bushcraft Semester. This is by invitation only. The way to get an invitation is to complete the other certifications.

Where Do I Stay In Between Programs? Can I Stay At The Field School?

Ideally you take a break between sessions and go home, or at least get a change of scenery. We have some limited camping options available at the field school for people not currently enrolled on courses. More information on that coming soon.