Wild Studies wants our teachers and group leaders to feel well informed about our science adventure programs. If you do not find the answer to your questions please contact Tara by phone at 1-866-658-1119 or by email at tara@wildstudies.com. Feel free to contact her if you just want to talk with friendly representative.

At-A-Glance Overview of WS Programs with Activity Dates and Tuition Prices:

Bahamas Blue 2008

Costa Rica Green 2008

Baja Mexico (New!)

Deposits and Payment Plans:

Deposits of $100 per student will secure a participant's place in our program for 30 days. Wild Studies accepts student registration throughout the school year. With enrollment in automatic withdrawal using a Visa or MasterCard credit or debit card, students have until May 15, 2008 to pay their program tuition in equal monthly installments. Wild Studies offers teachers and group leaders generous incentives for their commitment to international environmental education and recruiting efforts.

Participant Payment Schedule

Group Leader Incentive & Payment Table

Promotional Videos

Bahamas Blue Video • Costa Rica Green Video

Sea, Surf & Study Fox TV Report Video • OSA Rainforest Institute Video

Group Coordinator's Commonly Asked Questions:

Why do teachers choose Wild Studies?

Click here to read more: Why Choose Wild Studies

How do I sign up?

Decide on a program and travel date. See above for a list of our adventures and dates. Email us at info@wildstudies.com or call 1-866-658-1119. Be sure to provide your name, organization, and evening phone number as well as 3 possible dates you would like to travel. Wild Studies will pencil you in an available date and provide a login number and password to your personal Group Leader Account. Log in, complete the online forms and familiarize yourself with the promotional materials. Wild Studies will arrange a time to speak with you to go over your selected program, give you recruiting advice, and answer your questions. From your online account you will have access to promotion materials and helpful recruiting information. You can easily manage your group registration through your Participant Roster from your Group Leader Homepage. Aside from collecting deposits, there are no forms or payments to collect and mail in. All registration and payments are done online in each student's account.

Do you have references?

Yes, we have wonderful teachers that are happy to share their experience with you. Please contact us for a list of references.

What is the typical recruiting timeline?

Wild Studies will work with you to develop a recruiting timeline to accommodate your schedule. Contrary to popular belief, recruiting takes 1 to 2 months, not 7 to 8 months. We also find that Group Leaders who effectively promote their trip and follow up with prospective students will have 90 to 100% of their group formed within 1 month of promoting their trip. Potential Group Leaders who are passive about the recruiting process have a higher probability of taking 6 or 7 months to fill their group. The success of the group depends on the amount of effort you put into the initial broadcast of your trip and the timeliness of the follow up to parents and students.

What is my commitment?

There is no commitment from you other than to try to recruit your group. If you follow our suggestions your trip will be a success. There will be a cut off time decided when you design your recruiting timeline with Wild Studies, but that is up to you. We have teachers recruiting in March to travel the summer of that same year. You are not committed to doing the trip until you send us deposits. You do not need a full group to travel to our program. You can travel with as few as 1 student for a significantly discounted price. Click here to see the Group Leader Incentives and Payment Table

What are my responsibilities?

You are critical in the promotion, recruiting, and collection of payments. On site, Wild Studies will facilitate all aspects of the program you be able to enjoy the program like the students. We do need your help to maintain order. You will need to make sure students are on time, and are following the house rules and safety procedures. Students that cannot follow the rules or that pose a threat to the safety of the group will be sent home at their parent's expense. Click here to see Steps to Recruiting

May I bring a guest?

Guests for a discounted price are allowed on a per person and space available basis once your minimun group size has been met. You will need to contact Wild Studies to get permission to bring a guest. Your guest is required to be at least the age of the participants and be anyone you choose to travel with. He or she does not need to be a teacher.

Do you offer payment plans?

Yes! Wild Studies will allow students a couple of flexible options. All student sign up with just a $100 deposit. From there student can either choose to pay in full or sign up for our automatic monthly payments. Click here see the payment table: Participant Payment Schedule If payments are an issue for your students, the earlier they sign up for your trip the more manageable the payments will be. Payment amounts are determined by subtracting the deposit from the total tuition. The remainder of the balance is then divided by the number of months between now and May 15th. The math is simple. More time equals smaller monthly payments.

What if participants sign up and then cancel after they pay some of their balance? Will they get their money back?

Wild Studies cannot issue refunds once students have submitted a payment. Participants are highly encouraged to purchase travel insurance to protect their investment. Policies should cover missed connections, emergency medical evacuation and treatment, trip cancellation, and trip interruption.

I have a student whose Mom works for the airlines and gets free plane tickets, can she arrange her own travel?

The price of tuition includes roundtrip air (the price is not final until airline tickets are purchased in March/April). To avoid complications no special arrangements can be made for individual students in terms of exchanging airline miles or other forms of free airline travel, modifying travel dates, or arranging for travel from a different departure city of your group.

Do you have scholarship programs?

At this time we do not. One of our participating teachers created her own scholarship fund and was able to bring two students on full scholarship to our Bahamas Blue adventure. She asked the parents of the students already enrolled to donate money to a scholarship fund. One parent donated an entire trip! This teacher is from an inner city school with a mixed demographic of students and incomes. Her experience is a prime example of it never hurts to ask.

Do participants need a passport?

Yes, everyone is required to have a passport for all of our international adventures.

Do you keep age levels together? Will my 6th graders be with high school students?

Wild Studies is such an intimate experience for everyone that segregation often leads to other issues in themselves. Boys and girls have separate sleeping quarters but everyone participates together in field excursions and classroom activities. Instead of an "us against them" mentality we focus on team work and older students mentoring younger students. Each week is different. If you are interested in a week with just high school, middle school, girls only, etc. we will do our best to schedule you and your group based on your preferences.

Do teachers have say in the day to day operation?

Yes, and we welcome your suggestions. Wild Studies, however, will make the final decisions for group activities. The lead guide will meet with you in the morning to discuss the plans for the day. Please feel free to make any recommendations. We will try to accommodate your wishes. Keep in mind, we are the professionals and this is our "backyard". We need to take into consideration the conditions Mother Nature presents to us each day. Wild Studies has the right to change all activities. For liability purposes, in the field do NOT give outside instruction to the students. You need to stay with your dive leaders or guides at all times and follow their instruction. We will be accessing your student's abilities throughout the week. If we believe a student, teacher, or chaperone is not skilled, or in good enough physical condition to participate in a particular activity we will find an alternative activity for that person. We provide detail instruction, 99.9% of the time, everyone participates.

How long have your programs been in operation?

The Bahamas Blue program has been hosting groups since 1992, Costa Rica Green since 2001. Baja Mexico is our newest adventure hosting students in 2008.

How safe is it?

Safety is our number one priority, but no outdoor adventure is 100% safe. You will be happy to know that we have not had any major incidents other than the occasional ear infection or split toenail. We have an emergency plan in place. In Costa Rica the nearest medical facility by road is about 3 hours away. An air strip for air evacuations is about 1/2 miles away. In the Bahamas, there is a medical clinic about 15 miles north or south of the Outpost, a surgeon within 1 hour, and an international airport within 5 minutes from the facility. In Baja, depending on our location at the time, a drive to a hospital or medical clinic in La Paz or Cabo San Lucas may be 2-3 hours. For all locations air evacuation can be fairly quick due to our proximity to the airport but medical care can be significantly delayed.

Will we have access to phone or email?

Because of the remoteness of the facilities, the old adage applies, no news is good news. Please pass this information on to parents, friends, and relatives of your students. In Costa Rica and Baja Mexico you will be able to make one phone call to start you phone tree. This will let parents know you arrived safely. In the Bahamas, you can also make a phone call home and we have satellite internet for your use with your own notebook PC. Groups are allowed to bring down ONE laptop to share photos or email back home. Wild Studies also posts daily pictures of the students participating in activities. For emergency contact. Parents should email emergency_contact@wildstudies.com We will relay a message to the student as soon as possible.

Do I need to develop pre/post lessons?

That is up to you. Your students will receive a program workbook with space for journaling to use during the week. This workbook is a great log of their adventure and is used in conjunction with the evening slide show and lessons.

What should I do if parents don't use credit cards or they are concerned about internet security?

Please contact Wild Studies so that we can assist you with each case.