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Field Trips with the Mount St. Helens Institute are a blast!
Volcano Outdoor School with the Mount St. Helens Institute provides a variety of options for outdoor educational adventures at Mount St. Helens!
The Mount St. Helens Institute education team provides high quality, hands-on science education for students grades 2-12 in the landscape around Mount St. Helens. Our main education program site is the Science and Learning Center at Coldwater to the northwest of Mount St. Helens.
Volcano Outdoor School rocks!
Ready to Register?
Step 1: Consider your date availability
Our form asks you to submit 3 possible date options. Please note that available dates are subject to group size, staff availability, and facility availability.
Our busiest weeks are May 1 through June 15 and fill up quickly. Fall outdoor school is a great way to create bonds that last throughout the school year, is a beautiful time of year to visit the mountain, and has more flexibility.
Step 2: Read our Program Policies
Program Policies. Note that groups are required to provide chaperone support at a ratio of 1:5 chaperones per students for overnight trips and 1:8 chaperones per students for day trips.
Step 4: Register by completing the non-binding inquiry form
The required inquiry form begins your registration. For qualifying groups, the financial assistance form starts the process to provide assistance.
On the inquiry form, please include your top three dates and any information about the limits of your flexibility (ex: any Thursday in June), and dates you cannot come. We do our best to accommodate your dates based on our availability and our priorities based on grant funding.
After you Inquire
- We will notify you of the proposed date(s) and any financial support ~ 2 weeks after we receive your inquiry.
- Once we have agreed on a date, we will send you a Program Agreement for you to sign and return to us.
- Once we received a completed Program Agreement, we send you access to pre-field trip planning materials.
Financial Assistance
In order to make the volcano accessible to ALL youth from around the region, Mount St. Helens Institute provides reduced-rate Volcano Outdoor School and Virtual Field Trip programs for schools and youth groups that qualify. Additionally, we offer a limited number of transportation subsidies for qualifying schools attending in-person field trips. Our field trip financial assistance is only possible through the support of our generous supporters, donors and sponsors. If you are in a place to sponsor outdoor school or support us, please reach out.
General Financial Assistance Information
- Funds are limited and will be awarded using our funding criteria determined by our grant requirements and annual budget.
- We have a limited amount of funding each year. We begin awarding funding when we open registration, usually in November.
- Financial assistance applications must be completed ANNUALLY for each school year: August 1 - July 31. This helps us ensure equity for all groups applying.
- As of 2024, the MAXIMUM financial assistance we can provide for groups is $4999 within each annual fiscal year.
- Financial assistance funding supports in person Volcano Outdoor School field trips or Virtual Field Trip.
- Schools or groups must submit a W9 for their organization with an Employer Identification Number to receive an award. We do not provide funding to informal organizations.
- If you have any questions please email our team: learn@mshinstitute.org.
Eligibility
- Location: Some funding is unrestricted for location though we focus our support to schools and groups in our surrounding communities and the Portland/Vancouver metro area. A subset of funding is set aside specifically for youth-serving groups and public schools in Cowlitz and Clark counties based on the grants we receive each year.
- Program fee assistance for public schools is based on the percentage of students considered low income as follows:
% STUDENTS LOW INCOME | QUALIFY FOR |
|---|---|
40-49% | 25% financial assistance for program fees |
50-59% | 50% financial assistance for program fees |
60-69% | 75% financial assistance for program fees and/or transportation assistance. Transportation reimbursement is available at a rate of up to $12/person OR up to $600/vehicle, depending on the type of transportation. The number of vehicles eligible for transportation reimbursement is NOT currently limited. The number of programs each year that a group can apply for transportation reimbursement is NOT currently limited. Availability of all funding is limited by our grant funding and is not guaranteed. |
70% or more | 90% financial assistance for program fees and/or transportation assistance. Transportation reimbursement is available at a rate of up to $12/person OR up to $600/vehicle, depending on the type of transportation. The number of vehicles eligible for transportation reimbursement is NOT currently limited. The number of programs each year that a group can apply for transportation reimbursement is NOT currently limited. Availability of all funding is limited by our grant funding and is not guaranteed. |
Expectations of teacher or group organizer receiving financial assistance:
- Complete the post-program survey which supports our recurring grant funding.
- If selected to receive transportation assistance for an in-person field trip, your school or group must submit a final invoice from a charter transportation company or your school/organization within 60 days of your visits to receive a transportation reimbursement.
Teachers, schools, universities, or other groups wanting to use the Science and Learning Center for overnight outdoor school but provide their own programming can check out our Science and Learning Center rental page that covers amenities, capacity, and rental information.
- US Forest Service
- WA Recreation & Conservation Office No Child Left Inside
- WA State Parks
- Honorable Frank L and Arlene G Price Foundation
- Autzen Foundation
- Outdoor Schools Washington
- Chevron
- Cowlitz Indian Tribe
Other Ways to Visit Mount St. Helens
Our partners at the U.S. Forest Service and Washington State Parks have great resources for field trips, too!
The U.S. Forest Service manages the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument and offers itineraries and curriculum for classes who visit Mount St. Helens on their own. Visit their Teacher's Corner.
- Groups can visit the Science & Learning Center Coldwater Ridge Visitors Center which is open 10AM - 4PM daily (7 days a week) from June - November and open weekends November - June. Please contact the U.S. Forest Service (360) 449-7800 with questions about programs and services.
- The fabulous Ape Cave on the south side of Mount St. Helens is open for school groups to visit between June - October. This site is managed by the U.S. Forest Service; please contact the U.S. Forest Service staff (360) 449-7800 with questions about programs and services.
- Mount St. Helens Institute offers guided hikes & field trips at Ape Cave per request & based on staff availability. Contact us to inquire and learn more!
The Mount St. Helens Visitors Center at Seaquest State Park is located just 5 miles from the I5 corridor and is a fantastic place to visit as part of your trip to Mount St. Helens. This visitors center is open for school groups and is a great place to stretch your legs, use the restroom and learn more about the volcano with the interpretive exhibits, ADA accessible boardwalk trail and free curriculum provided by State Parks staff to school groups. Please contact WA State Park staff directly via phone or email with any questions.
Stay Connected
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