About the Apprentice Program

The Rocky Mountain Semester Apprentice Program is a professional residency in traditional and outdoor education for college graduates.

At the High Mountain Institute (HMI), we believe deeply in the philosophy of education through experience. Apprentices will be immersed in an intense, semester-long seminar that combines formal lessons in educational techniques and philosophies of outdoor education, with a hands-on apprenticeship with the Rocky Mountain Semester (RMS). Specifically, apprentices will participate, as both students and teachers, in the wilderness, academic, and residential components of the RMS. Graduates of this program will be well prepared for employment in: outdoor or experiential education, boarding and traditional high schools, adventure recreation, and residential programs. Graduates will also be in an excellent position to pursue an advanced degree in education.

The HMI Apprentice Program offers:

- Apprentice Wilderness Expedition Training: a two-week wilderness training course in the Sawatch Range of Colorado or the canyons of southeastern Utah.

- Apprentice Seminar: Theory and Practice in Experiential Education: a seminar on educational techniques and philosophies.

- Mentorship with an RMS faculty member or HMI administrator in a specific subject area: American Literature, Western Perspectives of U.S. History, Natural Science, Spanish, French, Mathematics or Non-Profit Administration.

- Training in wilderness medicine and avalanche awareness.

- Opportunities to assist in the facilitation and management of three two-week wilderness expeditions for the RMS.

- Firsthand experience in a residential education environment.

Components of the Apprenticeship:
WILDERNESS: Apprentices will participate in a two-week wilderness training expedition and help facilitate the three RMS wilderness expeditions. These expeditions consist of backpacking, climbing, backcountry skiing, and fly fishing, as well as formal academic and wilderness classes. The wilderness curriculum includes, among other skills, leadership and communication development, basic camping, navigation, judgment, and decision-making.

ACADEMIC: Apprentices will work closely with their academic mentors, honing their teaching style and skills, and enriching their knowledge of the subject matters. In order to gain exposure to a wider range of techniques and curricula, they will observe other academic classes every two weeks. They will also participate in a weekly class entitled Apprentice Seminar: Theory and Practice in Experiential Education. The curriculum will include, among other topics, leadership and communication skills commonly used in a classroom setting, teaching techniques, and risk management theories and practices.

RESIDENTIAL LIFE: Outside of the classroom, apprentices will play an active role in the residential life of the RMS by cooking meals with the students, helping with daily chores, facilitating daily activities, and acting as a Cabin Head for one student cabin.