About WCO
The Wilderness Classroom started with a simple idea: to show students from around the world the wonders of exploration and wilderness travel.
In late 2000, Dave Freeman decided he wanted to travel across northern Minnesota on cross-country skis with a sled dog named, Tundra. Cell phones don't work out in the wilderness, so Dave started researching satellite phones. A satellite phone can get a signal and make a phone call from just about anywhere on Earth. Eventually Dave learned how to connect his lap top to a satellite phone and start communicating with students and teachers from far off places.
Dave was able to convince a handful of teachers to log onto the web to follow and monitor his progress. When he completed the Border Country Adventure in the Spring of 2001, he visited those schools. He was impressed with how much the students learned and retained about his expedition.
Six years and ten expeditions later, the Wilderness Classroom reaches over 60,000 students around the globe. Our goal has never changed. We seek to instill a lifelong appreciation of wilderness in young people by highlighting the joy of discovery.
In late 2000, Dave Freeman decided he wanted to travel across northern Minnesota on cross-country skis with a sled dog named, Tundra. Cell phones don't work out in the wilderness, so Dave started researching satellite phones. A satellite phone can get a signal and make a phone call from just about anywhere on Earth. Eventually Dave learned how to connect his lap top to a satellite phone and start communicating with students and teachers from far off places.
Dave was able to convince a handful of teachers to log onto the web to follow and monitor his progress. When he completed the Border Country Adventure in the Spring of 2001, he visited those schools. He was impressed with how much the students learned and retained about his expedition.
Six years and ten expeditions later, the Wilderness Classroom reaches over 60,000 students around the globe. Our goal has never changed. We seek to instill a lifelong appreciation of wilderness in young people by highlighting the joy of discovery.
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