Our community

Teaching Drum Outdoor School is located in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest of Northern Wisconsin, adjacent to the Headwaters Wilderness. Plentiful lakes, streams, and bogs, along with the forests and meadows carpeting a varied glacially carved landscape, give us our playground and growing-learning opportunities. The diversity and abundance of our animal, plant and elemental relations nourishes both soul and body. Learn more about our Northwoods habitat here.

Our administrative campus, where our offices, library, bookstore, workshop, and staff housing are located, is called Nadmadewining, which is Ojibwe for Support Camp. The name reflects one of its primary purposes: to support the school’s wilderness immersion programs as well as our other two organizations, Snow Wolf Publishing and the Healing Nature Center.

On average, 16 staff support the school and make up the intentional community called Nadmadewining. We enjoy a simple lifestyle, heating with wood, eating an organic and wild-foraged foods diet. About half of the staff are graduates of the Wilderness Guide Program. Together we function as a hybrid community where old way customs and skills meet the technology of modern life. We encourage a culture of honesty, dream sharing, and we use the talking stick in all of our meetings to help us hear one another. 

If you are interested in volunteering with us, visit our volunteer page to learn about the application process. If you are interested in joining our community of support staff, you are welcome to visit our open positions page to see if your skills can help meet the needs of the school.

Visit our campus photo gallery here .