Outdoor Education Leadership Foundation Course

Outdoor education leadership foundation course in Aljezur with Claudia Valentim at Into The Wild Portugal, a transformative six-module programme at 1977 euros for anyone on a path of personal and professional development who wants to deepen their connection with nature while gaining the practical skills, mentoring and experience to bring that connection to others. Designed for teachers, educators, outdoor instructors, rangers, forest school leaders, play-workers and change-agents of every kind, this is a hands-on, experiential course built around earth education, nature awareness, creative interpretation, bushcraft, sensory awareness and narrative skills, delivered across six three-day modules plus 5 to 10 days of field work on Into The Wild Portugal camps and events.

Claudia brings a background in Steiner and Waldorf education, therapeutic practices, storytelling and years of experience guiding children, adults, educators and community leaders through transformative journeys in nature. Each module builds on the last, moving from foundational outdoor skills through bushcraft, creative storytelling, sensory awareness, ecological wisdom and finally conscious leadership, supported throughout by assignments, practices and direct coaching and mentoring designed to move you closer to your professional aspirations and your dreams for yourself and the world.

What the six modules cover

🧭 Orientation, 23 to 25 October 2026: Introduction to outdoor survival basics including the medicine wheel, orientation, firecraft, campcraft skills, core routines, nature connection practices, community building and the compass directions framework, alongside storytelling and community rituals.

🪓 Hands, 20 to 22 November 2026: Shelter-building using natural materials, bushcraft skills including fire-making, foraging, navigation and natural cordage, coppicing as a sustainable forestry practice, woodcraft including carving and tool-making, safe handling of knives, axes and saws, and wild foods and campfire cookery.

🎭 Imagination, 4 to 6 December 2026: Creative interpretation as a tool for transformation, earth education learning directly from rivers, trees and stones, environmental storytelling as activism and healing, animating nature through embodied practice, and narrative techniques for crafting stories that move hearts and minds.

👁️ Awareness, 22 to 24 January 2027: Sensory awareness practices, tracking skills, wildlife observation, bird language as both survival skill and poetic connection, a guided medicine walk, and a night activity focused on awareness and presence.

❤️ Heart, 12 to 14 February 2027: Gaia Theory bridging ecology and myth, deep ecology honouring all beings as kin, Active Hope as a resilient practice inspired by Joanna Macy’s work, and the Council of Beings ritual giving voice to the non-human world, closing with an overnight solo experience.

🌱 Leadership, 5 to 7 March 2027: Leadership styles from servant leadership to visionary leadership, eco constellations revealing the hidden dynamics between humans and ecosystems, resources and frameworks for environmental education, and a closing celebration honouring the full journey and transformation.

What you’ll gain

🌿 New skills, tools and techniques to become a more effective educator and nature mentor
🌿 Experience working with a range of client groups across diverse outdoor and educational contexts
🌿 Deeper discovery of your own gifts, passions and professional vision
🌿 Direct coaching, mentoring and support throughout the full programme
🌿 Routines and practices that connect you with nature and that you can pass on to others
🌿 Exposure to new ideas, frameworks and practices across ecology, psychology and cultural design

What’s included

🏕️ Six modules of three days each across a year-long programme
🏕️ 5 to 10 days of field work on Into The Wild Portugal camps and events
🏕️ Assignments and practices supporting integrated learning throughout
🏕️ Direct mentoring and coaching from Claudia Valentim

What you leave with

A complete foundation in nature-based outdoor education and conscious leadership, a year of practical experience and assignments behind you, and the tools, frameworks and confidence to guide others toward a deeper relationship with the natural world.

I am Claudia Valentim, outdoor educator, storyteller and nature-connection mentor, founder of Into The Wild Portugal. With a background in Steiner education, therapeutic practices, storytelling and experiential learning, I have spent years guiding children, adults, educators and community leaders through transformative journeys in nature. My vision is rooted in the belief that nature is one of our greatest teachers and that reconnecting with the earth can create positive change both personally and collectively.

Price 1977 euros. Six modules of three days each plus 5 to 10 days field work. Takes place in Aljezur, beginning 23 October 2026 and concluding 5 to 7 March 2027.