Ancestral Knowledge Youth & Teen Programs and Camps
Ancestral Knowledge (various outdoor sites in MD & VA), 5717 Greenbelt Metro Dr., Greenbelt, MD 20722
About
Ancestral Knowledge Youth & Teen Programs and Camps offers 100% outdoor programs that include forest exploration, games, and hands-on projects. Participants study animal tracking techniques, nature awareness, plant and tree identification, basic survival skills, basic stone tool making, and making a fire by friction, including a fire by friction demonstration. Overnight camps are described as a 100% outdoor camping adventure, and field trips take participants deep into local park systems to explore the ecosystems within.
• Ages: 5–17 years old
• Schedule: Programs run from Sept–June, meeting once a week.
• Price: Demonstration Pricing: 1–3 hours $375 (30 students max). Field Day Pricing: 2–5 hours $375–$725 (up to 30 participants).
The organization states that these are drop off programs with age appropriate activities, and that financial aid is available for those in need of assistance. Summer Camp and Overnight Camp registration both open January 1st. The program also offers student interactive presentations with primitive tools and natural materials and will come to a group’s location for a hands-on demonstration, with presentations described as one of a kind. Forms needed to attend overnight camps include a release waiver, Field Form, camper health history, and Medical Information Form.
According to its mission statement, the Homeschool Naturalist Program uses hands-on experiential learning to provide participants with a deep understanding and connection to natural history in a 100% outdoor program. Instructors share life skills of ancestors while studying four basic needs: Shelter, Fire, Water, and Food, and explore local flora and fauna through animal tracking, plant, and tree identification, as well as Earth Sciences. All programs intertwine two methods of teaching called Experiential Education (“learning by doing”) and Coyote Teaching (“guiding not giving”). Ancestral Knowledge offers entry level and advanced programming in topics such as earth based living skills, nature awareness, primitive technology, wilderness survival, and corporate retreats and presentations, and is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization operated by a community of naturalists who specialize in native life skills and philosophies that support sustainable lifestyles.
The organization offers its outdoor education programs to Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America, public, private, and charter schools, homeschool groups, and universities. One homeschool parent reports that their child returned to Ancestral Knowledge because she enjoyed it so much, and that they observed growth intellectually, emotionally, and physically, and expressed appreciation for the knowledge, kindness, and care provided by specific instructors. Ancestral Knowledge states that it was the first organization in the DC Metro Area to offer educational programs in this field of expertise, and that all donations are 100% tax deductible.
Last updated January 21, 2026.
• Ages: 5–17 years old
• Schedule: Programs run from Sept–June, meeting once a week.
• Price: Demonstration Pricing: 1–3 hours $375 (30 students max). Field Day Pricing: 2–5 hours $375–$725 (up to 30 participants).
The organization states that these are drop off programs with age appropriate activities, and that financial aid is available for those in need of assistance. Summer Camp and Overnight Camp registration both open January 1st. The program also offers student interactive presentations with primitive tools and natural materials and will come to a group’s location for a hands-on demonstration, with presentations described as one of a kind. Forms needed to attend overnight camps include a release waiver, Field Form, camper health history, and Medical Information Form.
According to its mission statement, the Homeschool Naturalist Program uses hands-on experiential learning to provide participants with a deep understanding and connection to natural history in a 100% outdoor program. Instructors share life skills of ancestors while studying four basic needs: Shelter, Fire, Water, and Food, and explore local flora and fauna through animal tracking, plant, and tree identification, as well as Earth Sciences. All programs intertwine two methods of teaching called Experiential Education (“learning by doing”) and Coyote Teaching (“guiding not giving”). Ancestral Knowledge offers entry level and advanced programming in topics such as earth based living skills, nature awareness, primitive technology, wilderness survival, and corporate retreats and presentations, and is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization operated by a community of naturalists who specialize in native life skills and philosophies that support sustainable lifestyles.
The organization offers its outdoor education programs to Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America, public, private, and charter schools, homeschool groups, and universities. One homeschool parent reports that their child returned to Ancestral Knowledge because she enjoyed it so much, and that they observed growth intellectually, emotionally, and physically, and expressed appreciation for the knowledge, kindness, and care provided by specific instructors. Ancestral Knowledge states that it was the first organization in the DC Metro Area to offer educational programs in this field of expertise, and that all donations are 100% tax deductible.
Last updated January 21, 2026.
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