Course Sponsorship 101
Want to host a course at your location? What a great (and easy) way to offer training to your group or organization — let us come to you! It’s simple to request a wilderness and remote medicine course at your location for your members; or you can open up your course to Scouts and adult leaders, or even the general public! Hosting a training course is a great way to earn revenue for your group or organization!
Sponsoring a course is a great way to offer a wilderness and remote medicine course at your location for your members, or you can open up your course to Scouts and adult leaders or even the general public. Hosting a training course is a great way to earn revenue for your group or organization!
Each year many sponsors recognize the value of our enthusiastic and knowledgeable educators, up-to-date curriculum materials, numerous recertification opportunities and our full service approach to helping them run high quality training programs. Well over four thousand CWS alumni are providing emergency medical care across the globe.
When you sponsor a Center for Wilderness Safety course, you are working with a full-service organization. Our professional staff strive to support your course and give you and your students the best experience possible. We take customer service to heart! To setup an in-person course, we do ask that sponsors allow a minimum of 30 days lead time (preferably 45 or more) prior to a desired course start date — unless setting up a private course. This allows time for participants to register.
How to Schedule a Course
If your group or organization is interested in sponsoring a course, please note that the minimum number of participants we require is 12–18; however, we aim for at least 18–24 due to group dynamics. We realize that some groups and organizations wishing to sponsor a course may not have 12–18 participants right off the bat, and we will be happy to work with you to help fill your course as needed.
When scheduling a course, dates depend on both the availability of our instructors and of course, the sponsoring organization’s time-frame. We strongly recommend scheduling a Wilderness First Aid course at least three to four weeks in advance, and a Wilderness First Responder or Wilderness EMT course, three or more months out. This gives participants plenty of time to arrange schedules, sign up, and complete the pre-course work.
Finding and booking the course location (facilities, lodging, etc.) is solely the responsibility of the sponsor. If you do not have a location arranged, we will be glad to work with you to help find a nearby solution. Please note that on multi-day courses, we do not permit a change in location from day to day or within the time-frame of the course. This includes building or room changes.
All courses require an indoor classroom with ample room for tables, chairs, PowerPoint projection, as well as space for skills practice – in addition to easy access to an outdoor or wilderness area in which to do practice scenarios and simulations.
The primary scheduling format for the 16-hour Wilderness First Aid (WFA) class is typically a weekend-based approach, meaning all day Saturday (8am–7pm) and again all day Sunday (8am–7pm).
We understand that this may not work for all groups and individuals and are fairly flexible in working around your schedule. We are also able to schedule a WFA course during the week, over the course of 3 consecutive days (typically scheduled 9am–5pm).
Our 40-hour Wilderness Advanced First Aid (WAFA) class is taught both as a standalone course, and an upgrade from Wilderness First Aid. Typically, the course is taught over either 4 or 5 consecutive days (either 8am–7pm or 8am–5pm each day), however may also be split up over two consecutive weekends if available.
Course Costs + Fees
For all courses that are taught within driving distance of Sterling, Virginia (between 50 and 500 miles from our base camp in Sterling, VA), we charge the current GSA rate of $0.56 per mile, both to and from your location for one vehicle -OR- a daily (current GSA) per diem of $96 per day and NO travel costs.
If the course is located within 50 miles of Sterling, VA, we do not charge mileage. We also request meals and lodging for our instructors from the evening before your course through the morning after your course.
If you are unable to provide housing and food, we request a $36 per Diem (per instructor/per day) for meals for the duration of the course; as well as reimbursement for any incurred lodging expenses. Our instructors are usually happy to do home-stays or rent a room at a local university or hostel. Depending upon the course location and time of year, overnight camping may also be acceptable.
The average cost per student, factoring in tuition, additional modules and instructor costs (meals, lodging & mileage) average out to be around $25-$75 above the base tuition. We encourage sponsors to price courses accordingly to earn revenue through the cost of the course tuition.
Have a Question? Call Us!
Toll Free @ 1 (855) 505-1700
Center for Wilderness Safety provides each course host with:
- • Course Materials
- • Course Lectures + Presentations
- • Course Textbooks
- • And More…
