Reducing Financial Barriers:
Sliding Scale, Mutual Aid, Exchange @ GOS
Capitalism does not permit an even flow of economic resources. With this system, a small privileged few are rich beyond conscience, and almost all others are doomed to be poor at some level. That's the way the system works. And since we know that the system will not change the rules, we are going to have to change the system. - Martin Luther King Jr.
The core work of the Village Hearth Initiative & Guelph Outdoor School is to promote Nature Connection through mentorship, outdoor immersion experiences and culturally regenerative practices. We learn from nature, the many ways that we all might interact with one another in regenerative ways. One way is through a system we call “economics”. The Village Hearth Initiative takes seriously the impacts of our economic choices, and we are proceeding down a path of re-imagining the ways our relationship to economics might serve all Life. There are many forms of capital that can enrich people and community. We invite you to join us in a commitment to investing in a regenerative economic system that uplifts the potential for exchange to enrich all of life.
Take a look below at what we’ve got in place to make nature immersion programs more available for everyone
Use What you Need, Give What you Can
Indigenous Tuition Commitment
Indigenous participants are invited to attend all Guelph Outdoor School programs free of charge if they so choose.
For Weekly Programs (Sept - June), this is a self-serve option. Choose the discount level you feel best about. Simply register for your chosen program and at checkout., type GOLDENROD + any multiple of 10, all in one one word, up to 100. E.g. GOLDENROD10 for 10 % Off • GOLDENROD70 for 70% Off. To waive the entire tuition fee, enter GOLDENROD100.
Mutual Aid for Black, Indigenous and Families of Colour
is in place to offset social and systemic barriers to wealth accumulation based on racial and/or ethnic identity, and are in place specifically for Black, Indigenous, and families of colour.
For Weekly Programs (Sept - June), this is a self-serve option. Simply type GOLDENROD at registration checkout, and add a multiple of 10, all in one one word, up to 100. E.g. GOLDENROD10 for 10 % Off • GOLDENROD70 for 70% Off
NEW FOR SUMMER 2025: (July & August Week-longs): Up to Two (2) weeks of camp may be requested at a discount via the form on the Summer 2025 page.
The Sliding Scale
What is it?
Sliding Scale options are in place to support families and organizations who experience barriers to wealth accumulation that are not based on race or ethnicity.
This can mean: single parent households, low-income families and participants with mobility, physical, emotional, or mental challenges, or simply families who have been significantly affected financially by Covid-19.
For Weekly Programs (Sept - June), Sliding Scale is a self-serve option up to 25 percent. Simply type DANDELION at registration checkout + a multiple of 5 at the end, anywhere between 5 to 25, all one word. For example: DANDELION5 for 5 % Off • DANDELION15 for 15% Off.
How do I contribute?
Consider contributing MORE on the scale if you:
Comfortably meet your basic needs
Belong to a sponsoring organization or have full-time employment
Have investments, retirement funds, or inherited wealth
Travel recreationally
Have access to family resources
Work part-time by choice
Own your home
Benefit from social or economic privilege (e.g. education, race, gender, class)
Consider contributing LESS on the scale if you:
Struggle to meet basic expenses
Support dependents
Have significant debt or uncovered medical costs
Are an elder with limited financial support
Are an unpaid community organizer
Experience housing instability or unreliable transportation
Cannot afford time off due to financial constraints
Free to Grow
The Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington provides financial support to families at certain income levels. You can check the CFGW website here to see if you qualify and/or apply here. If you have any difficulty with the process, contact us at GOS 519-400-9507 or email to admin@theguelphoutdoorschool.com.
Pay a Higher Fee
Sliding Scale can also slide UP! Guelph Outdoor School fee options are designed to recognize, anticipate, and correct disparities in access to wealth. If you are inspired by the GOS committment to making programs available for everybody, and you’d like to contribute financially, you have options: