Ecology
Lab.

Yes. Each of the 6 weekly sessions is a separately receipted "specialized instruction" service, and the course is registered with ClassWallet (vendor application in process for the 2026–2027 ESA cycle). We bill per session even though you enroll for the full cohort — that's the structure ESA reviewers prefer. The full course is $2,295, well inside the typical ESA annual cap.

Different venue, different audience, different curriculum framing. The Academy season ($895) runs Mon–Thu at Tempe Town Lake with cohort-based progression (Sea Turtles, Dolphins, Manta Rays) and 99 coach-witnessed badges. Saguaro Field School ($2,295) is a 6-week Wednesday-only program at Lake Saguaro built specifically for homeschool families with ESA scholarships — it integrates PE with NGSS-aligned science (ecology, limnology, wildlife behavior, earth science) and produces an end-of-course transcript ESA reviewers can audit.

Salt River Expeditions ($345/session) are single drop-in sessions on the Salt River. Saguaro Field School ($2,295) is a 6-week structured curriculum cohort at Lake Saguaro — same vessel, same instructors, but with continuity, progression, and a transcript. Many families do both: Field School for the spring or fall homeschool semester, drop-in Expeditions in summer.

Ages 8+. Older students (12+) work at full independence on the mega-board; younger students (8–11) work in coach-piloted stations or, when helpful, with a caregiver-on-board. Cohorts mix ages on purpose — the curriculum is layered so an 8-year-old, a 13-year-old, and a 17-year-old can all engage at their developmental level on the same lake the same week.

Yes. The 6-week skills progression follows the American Canoe Association (ACA) Level 1 SUP Skills Course outline. Students completing all 6 weeks earn the official ACA Level 1 SUP Skills Course completion certificate — transferable nationally. Race-pacing elements in Week 6 align with USA Surfing's SUP discipline athlete-development guidelines (USA Surfing is the National Governing Body for SUP under the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the International Surfing Association).

Yes — three forks. (1) Paddle credentials: see /certifications for the full ACA pathway. Students 12+ can pursue the ACA Level 2 SUP Skills Assessment after Field School; adults 18+ can pursue the L1 SUP Instructor pathway. (2) Racing: race-aspiring students can join the Race Team and pursue USA Surfing SUP athlete classification. (3) Coaching: students 14+ can step onto the Instructor Career Path — Peer Mentor at 14 (volunteer, pro-shop credit), paid Junior Coach Assistant at 16 ($15/hr), Apprentice Coach at 18 with ACA L1 Instructor. See /coach for the 6-tier ladder.

A dedicated coach across all 6 weeks (no shared board), an Adaptive Recreation-endorsed instructor, sensory-friendly pacing, visual schedule support, IPP-aligned goal documentation, and HIPAA-aware progress notes that DDD intermediaries (Cortica, Choice Care, Mentor AZ) can submit. The standard track is 6–7 students per coach; the Adaptive track is 1:1.

Yes. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit (IRS determination pending) and we reserve scholarship seats in every cohort, funded by sponsorship and grant dollars. Apply on the form with funding source "Scholarship request" — every request is reviewed personally and we respond within 48 hours regardless of outcome.

The full week-by-week curriculum is on this page below. The downloadable PDF syllabus includes learning objectives, activities, assessments, materials provided, home extension prompts for the homeschool parent, standards alignment (AZ PE + NGSS), and instructor qualifications. Use it for your ESA portfolio + scholarship file.

ESA + Adaptive families: we invoice ClassWallet or your qualified intermediary per session — you pay $0 out of pocket on the funding rail. Private-pay families: Stripe ACH or card (3% pass-through if card). Scholarship recipients: zero out-of-pocket; we apply sponsorship + grant dollars to the cohort tuition.