"Parents should know that the kids come back invigorated and with a new found sense of connection and confidence."
— Mosaic Parent
Frequently Asked Questions By Mosaic Parents
What is the food like?
We serve three nutritious kid-friendly meals a day. Our dinner menu features pizza, spaghetti, burgers, and a make-your-own burrito bar. Breakfasts include homemade biscuits, pancakes, eggs, and cereal. Lunches consist of sandwiches, fruit, and carrots. There are always vegetarian options available and our staff has a ready supply of trail mix and pretzels for snacks throughout the day. Our incredible Chef, John, is committed to accommodating allergies and special dietary needs as well as baking fresh bread and cookies.What is the sleeping arrangement?
We house 5-10 kids in each single-gender cabin. The girls’ cabin area and the boys’ cabin area are separate. We intentionally mix children from different schools but ensure that each child has at least one cabin mate from her/his own community.What type of medical support do you have?
We have local doctors on call for us 24 hours a day. Most of our staff members are trained in First Aid and CPR. Some hold advanced certifications such as Wilderness First Responder or Emergency Medical Technician.How far is the nearest hospital?
The nearest hospital is Queen of the Valley Medical Center which is 20 minutes away from our Outdoor School site.Is there a certified lifeguard at the swimming pool?
Yes, there are two. In addition, our own staff and the students’ teachers are always on duty as “watchers” at the pool. Our wonderful Site Director, Cynthia, runs strict and safe swim program.How are children supervised? What is the adult/student ratio?
The students’ physical and emotional safety and well-being are our primary concerns. Students are supervised 24 hours a day. Cabin Leaders sleep in the cabins every night. Our staff to student ratio is approximately 1 to 6.Who are your staff? How are your staff screened?
Staff Facilitators:We pride ourselves on the diversity of our staff. We require our staff facilitators to be over the age of 21, and generally the age range is between 21 and 50 years old. They have extensive experience working with children in outdoor settings as well as in diversity and conflict resolution training. We provide an intensive weeklong staff training and are constantly engaged in professional development. All staff members have undergone a rigorous screening process/background check that includes finger printing, consultation with at least three professional references, and a three-hour interview with the Executive Director.Cabin Leaders: Our Cabin Leaders are between the ages of 15 and 22 and hail from more than a dozen Bay Area high schools and colleges. They undergo their own leadership training that includes an overnight component. The competitive application process includes essays, references and a personal interview with our Youth Leadership Project Director.
Can I call my child?
Except under the most unusual circumstances, students are not permitted to talk with their parents over the telephone for the following reasons:- We find that these conversations often increase homesickness and delay children’s adjustment to the Outdoor School. Additionally, if one student talks to his/her family and the word spreads that s/he has done so, homesickness can spread throughout the community.
- We keep the students very busy during the program. We do not want to have to pull them away from their activities and groups to come to the phone.
- We want to keep all phone lines open for our office use.