Essential Eligibility Criteria

Know your skills as a participant.

Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute outings and trips are open to participants who are able to meet the essential eligibility requirements listed below. Accommodations may be made as long as it does not compromise the health or safety of staff members or other participants or significantly alter the fundamental intended outcomes of the program.

Essential Eligibility Criteria are not intended to be exclusionary, but to honestly identify the basic and fundamental elements of outing or trip participation that are integrally tied to safety and risk management considerations. These criteria are the essential skills that each participant is required to perform for safety in each type of program offered and are applied equally to all potential participants.

Please note that reasonable accommodations and modifications that do not fundamentally alter the nature of the experience will be made for qualified persons with disabilities. If you have questions or concerns about your ability to meet the criteria outlined below, contact Youth Outreach Educator Katherine Jenkins.

EEC for Day Outings

Participant must be able to:

Understand verbal and/or visual instructions, including what personal gear to bring, as well as behavioral expectations;
Board, ride, and exit a van or other motorized transportation independently or with the assistance of a companion who accompanies the participant;
Communicate physical and/or emotional needs to leaders;
Eat and drink independently or with the assistance of a companion who accompanies the participant;
Manage all personal care (e.g. eating; preparing for bed and sleeping, meeting bathroom needs –to include using a flush toilet or an outhouse pit toilet; as well as attending to personal hygiene, etc.) and mobility needs independently or with the assistance of a companion who accompanies the participant;
Maneuver on uneven terrain with ascending and descending hills independently or with the assistance of a companion who accompanies the participant;
Depending on day activity type, safely utilize outdoor equipment such as a bicycle or canoeing (see canoeing weekend trip EEC for more specific details about canoeing personal protective equipment) or rock climbing equipment (see rock climbing weekend trip EEC for more specific details about rock climbing personal protective equipment) independently using adaptive support if necessary or have a minimum of one companion who accompanies the participant who is able and willing to control equipment.

EEC for Overnight Trips

Understand verbal and/or visual instructions, including what personal gear to bring, as well as behavioral expectations;
Board, ride, and exit a van or other motorized transportation independently or with the assistance of a companion who accompanies the participant;
Communicate physical and/or emotional needs to leaders as appropriate for their age and development;
Eat and drink independently or with the assistance of a companion who accompanies the participant;
Manage all personal care (e.g. eating; preparing for bed and sleeping, meeting bathroom needs –to include using a flush toilet, an outhouse pit toilet, or digging in the ground and then using a 6” deep ‘cat hole’; as well as attending to personal hygiene, etc.) and mobility independently or with the assistance of a companion who accompanies the participant;
Breathe independently without assistance of machines or electrical devices;
Move about a campsite independently or with the assistance of a companion who accompanies the participant;
Travel, independently with limited assistance or with the assistance of a companion who accompanies the participant, over various elevation changes and trail conditions including but not limited to rocky, uneven surfaces, mud, creeks, steep hills, and narrow passages;
Live in a physically demanding backcountry environment for the uninterrupted period of the trip length. Conditions of this environment may vary depending on trip location, anywhere from cold (below minus 20º F) to hot (above 90º F) and may include inclement weather.

EEC for Backpacking Trips

Participant must be able to:

Meet all Overnight Trips Essential Eligibility Criteria;
Travel between 1 and 10 miles a day for up to 5 consecutive days carrying up to 50lbs or 30% of one’s own body weight without the aid of a companion who accompanies the participant.

EEC for Canoeing & Kayaking Trips

Participant must be able to:

Meet all Day Trips Essential Eligibility Criteria if a canoeing or kayaking as part of a day trip; or, meet all Overnight Trips Essential Eligibility Criteria if canoeing or kayaking as part of an extended trip;
Maneuver on uneven terrain with ascending and descending hills independently or with the assistance of a companion who accompanies the participant;
Wear all protective equipment recommended or required by industry standards;
Enter and exit boat/vessel independently or with assistance of a companion who accompanies the participant;
Remain seated and balanced, with the use of adaptive equipment if necessary;
Paddle independently using adaptive support if necessary or have a minimum of one companion who accompanies the participant who is able and willing to control a paddle and pull it through the water in order to propel the boat;
In the event of a capsize, independently hold breath while maintaining a sealed airway, get out from under the watercraft, turn and remain face up in the water with the aid of a personal floatation device;
Re-enter the canoe or kayak if capsized in deep water or make progress towards the shoreline independently or with the help of a companion who accompanies the participant;
Maintain a safe body position while attempting skills and activities, and have the ability to recognize/identify to others when such efforts would be unsafe given personal situation.

EEC for Climbing Trips

Participant must be able to:

Meet all Day Trips Essential Eligibility Criteria if a canoeing or kayaking as part of a day trip; or, meet all Overnight Trips Essential Eligibility Criteria if canoeing or kayaking as part of an extended trip;
Wear all protective equipment recommended or required by industry standards;
Grip a rope firmly, grasp the rock face, and negotiate upwards on a climb;
Be able to respond to verbal and/or visual signals;
Maintain a safe body position while attempting skills and activities, and have the ability to recognize/identify to others when such efforts would be unsafe given personal situation.