Why We Need YOU!

This isn’t a digital download. It’s not a drop-in activity.

Every Outdoor Hour happens in a real place, with a real child, mentored by a real adult who’s trained, background-checked, and ready to help that child light a fire, build a fort, or cook soup from scratch.

What your gift actually covers:

Safe outdoor space (sometimes rented)
Field kits: journal, whistle, compass, gloves
Stoves, fuel, cookware for real use
Program insurance and safety coverage
Training and background checks for mentors
Impact reporting so you see what you made happen

We run lean. We don’t waste. But we never cut the corners that keep kids safe and learning strong.

You’re not donating to overhead. You’re buying the hour that brings a child back to themselves.

Bring Kids Back to the Real World

Support the Outdoor Hours Fund, a direct-action initiative from The Woodcraft and Wilderness Learning Trust. We're creating real, hands-on outdoor learning experiences for kids overwhelmed by screens, disconnected from family, and slipping into isolation.

The Problem

Behind closed doors, children are being consumed by screens. Sleep is disrupted. Attention is eroding. Memory and motivation are vanishing. And families are feeling powerless to stop it.

Over 8 hours a day of recreational screen time for teens (CDC)
Declining reading, writing, and problem-solving scores in middle schoolers (JAMA)
Increased depression, anxiety, and emotional numbness in high-screen-use youth (AAP)
AI-generated schoolwork replacing real learning and struggle (EdWeek)

The Solution

We run Outdoor Hours: mentor-led, local, structured learning experiences where kids build fires, cook soup, navigate with compasses, build shelters, journal, clean up, and most importantly—feel proud of doing something real.

“She actually asked to do it again.”
“He hasn’t smiled like that in months.”
“We finally had a real conversation on the way home.”

Who It’s For

Kids burned out from endless screen loops and academic autopilot
Working parents who can’t afford expensive nature programs
Grandparents raising grandkids with no outdoor access
Families recovering from crisis, burnout, or social disconnection

What Your Gift Provides

What's Covered	Why It Matters
Trained, background-checked mentors	Guidance, safety, encouragement, and accountability
Gear kits (stove, tarp, compass, journal)	Real tools to build skill and confidence
Venue permits & insurance	Safety and compliance to operate legally and long-term
Nutrition & hydration support	Focus, energy, and care for each participant
Ongoing impact tracking	You see what changed and how your gift mattered

Research & Sources

AAP: Screen Time & Academic Performance
CDC: Screen Use & Youth Mental Health
JAMA: Screen Time Reduction Trial (2024)
NCBI: Screen Time & Cognitive Issues
EdWeek: AI, Screens, and Learning Decline

Your support builds more than forts—it builds futures. Together, we can bring one more child back from the brink of disconnection. We're Launching the Outdoor Hours Program in Spring of 2026 and Need Your Help to Fund the Startup costs... where we will begin to create Outdoor Hours Hubs NATIONWIDE!

Donate Above and Choose the Amount You Would Like To Donate. Givebutter is Matching 1% of all Donations on Giving Tuesday, December 2nd 2025!

Restoring self-reliance and resilience—one learner at a time.

The Woodcraft and Wilderness Learning Trust is a Pennsylvania-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing immersive, intergenerational outdoor education through the programs of the Woodcraft League of America®. We support the creation, expansion, and accessibility of wilderness learning experiences that transform lives.

Founded by educator and resilience strategist Bob Yeager, the Trust exists to fund the next generation of nature-based learning—including the 400-acre National Learning Campus that will serve as a year-round sanctuary for transformational education.

Our Why

Across the country, young people and adults are becoming increasingly disconnected from the natural world, their communities, and essential life skills. At the same time, traditional wisdom around ecology, land stewardship, and self-reliance is vanishing.

We believe in a different path.

Through funding, scholarships, and program support, we help youth, families, veterans, and adults in transition reconnect with their own resilience—and with each other—through hands-on experiences in the wilderness.

What We Do

Fund Educational Programs based on the Woodcraft League of America® curriculum
Provide Scholarships for youth, veterans, and families in need
Develop Infrastructure like the National Learning Campus
Support Instructors through mentorship, training, and outreach
Promote Ecological Literacy rooted in land-based living

We exist to build not just programs—but people and places that last.

Our Leadership

Robert Wayne Yeager Jr. – Founder & Executive Director

Bob is the founder of the Woodcraft League of America® and a national advocate for wilderness education and resilience training. With decades of experience in leadership, publishing, and mentorship, Bob spearheads the vision of the Trust and its flagship initiative—the National Learning Campus.

Board of Directors & Advisory Team
Our governance and advisory structure includes educators, outdoor leaders, veterans, and community members committed to our mission. Full board list available upon request.

The WLA Connection

We are proud to support the Woodcraft League of America®, a for-profit education company offering structured wilderness training for all ages. While WLA manages curriculum and local Lodges/Tribes, the Trust works independently to fund access and expand the national impact of this model.

Our nonprofit and WLA are separate legal entities—but united in purpose.

Legal & Transparency

IRS 501(c)(3) Recognition
EIN: 39-2311033
Registered Nonprofit in Pennsylvania
Articles of Incorporation, Financial Disclosures, and Public Forms available upon request

We’re here to grow something bigger than ourselves—a national movement rooted in land, learning, and legacy.

Join us.

Woodcraft & Wilderness Learning Trust Outdoor Hours Fund

By Woodcraft and Wilderness Learning Trust

Woodcraft & Wilderness Learning Trust Outdoor Hours Fund

Bring Kids Back to the Real World