About

What is a Tenderfoot?

The word tenderfoot was carefully selected for our organization’s name after months of deliberation. In folklore, a tenderfoot is a beginner, someone who has a lot to learn. That fits our mission, because we aim to be a welcoming, non-judgmental place for everyone to develop more sustainable habits and lifestyles, regardless of prior knowledge or skills. Tenderfoot also resonated because we teach people how to walk with a lighter footprint on Earth’s resources. (An ecological footprint is a measurement of how many resources we use — measure your own here!) Lastly, our co-founders thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail to raise startup funds for Tenderfoot – their feet were literally tender. This serves as a reminder to our teaching staff and students that challenging yourself to do new things may be uncomfortable, but the reward can be tremendous.

What is sustainability education?

Sustainability is our ability to meet humanity’s needs in the present without compromising our future. Sustainability education teaches us how to live that way, building communities where humanity can thrive today and for many tomorrows.

Nature is a critical foundation for sustainable human thriving: our food, medicine, building materials, clothing fibers, and so much more come from nature. Yet thriving also requires strong social connections and economic capital. It takes a lot of work to transform raw materials into all that food, medicine, lumber, etc. Few to none of us could make everything we use all by ourselves – we thrive in communities where the labor of meeting our needs is spread across multiple people. That’s why each community used to have its farmers, blacksmiths, shoemakers, sewers, builders, and so on. Nowadays, we rely on people around the globe to meet our needs (and more and more of our wants). It’s really quite incredible to be able to eat avocados in Ohio and sip (or guzzle) coffee every morning, but moving goods around the world is costly – both in environmental impact and in dollars, not to mention the undesirable working conditions of many people who keep it all moving.

So, a sustainable world is one rooted in justice: a world where everyone has access to healthy nature, social support, and money needed to thrive today, without jeopardizing the future. Sustainability education teaches us to think and act accordingly, making decisions that are good for the planet and the people who depend on it. (You know, all of us.) Outdoor education teaches us to better understand and appreciate the outdoors, which is a helpful component of sustainability education. Our co-founder, Travis, worked in OE for several years and teaches many of the outdoor components of our total curriculum. Lindsey, our other co-founder, earned her Ph.D. in sustainability education and teaches the social and economic components of our curriculum.

All Roads Lead to Food

Because eating is a universal experience, we’ve put food at the heart of our programs.  It’s a great entry point for living more sustainably.  Here at Tenderfoot, we grow food, we cook it from scratch, we teach classes about it, we try new recipes in our #tenderfoottestkitchen, and we share our creations while gathered around our beautiful, handmade dining table built from local hardwoods.  We use organic growing methods – no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides – and we raise free-range chickens who supply us with eggs of varied colors and sizes.  In the kitchen, we use hand tools to demonstrate how much energy goes into simple actions we often take for granted.  We don’t own a microwave, but people seem to love our stove-top popcorn.

For ingredients that we don’t produce on-site, we rely on our area’s extensive network of sustainable farms.  Southeast Ohio produces an impressive bounty of organic, conscientiously-produced food.  We can get nearly everything locally – vegetables, fruit, honey, maple syrup, mushrooms, grains, beans, dairy, meat, even our popcorn!  The Athens Farmers Market is a treasure trove that allows us to cook and eat within our values.

Our Teaching Style

We believe experience is the best teacher – that’s why we call Tenderfoot a lab. The term implies experimentation, and Tenderfooters are always trying things out: new recipes, gardening styles, infrastructure solutions, habits, cooking techniques, tools, and paradigms. Whether you participate in a residential or single-day program, you’ll be invited to learn with your head, hands, senses, and stomach. You’ll probably hear us say, “you know it in your brain, now put it in your body.”

While we’d love for you to come and stay awhile, we know residential programs aren’t feasible for everyone. Our shorter-term programs include workshops and special events. Common offerings are volunteer days, food preservation classes, community campfires, pie picnics, festivals, bike maintenance pop-ups, offline cafes, and sustainable living consultations.

Follow us @tenderfootlearninglab on Instagram & Facebook for the latest info on our events and programs.

*Tenderfoot Learning Lab is not a credit-granting institution.  For students seeking academic credit, we work with your home school in advance of your arrival at Tenderfoot to determine how your sustainable semester, spring break, or summer internship will be credited.