Wild Rockies Field Institute

What Wild Rockies Field Institute does

Wild Rockies Field Institute (WRFI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization founded in 1993 and based in Missoula, Montana, that delivers academically rigorous, place-based field courses for college and pre-college students across the American West and Southwest. The organization runs nine distinct courses annually — two 15-credit semester courses (Colorado Plateau; Montana Afoot & Afloat), a 12-credit summer semester (Wild Rockies: Conservation Across Boundaries), three 3-6 credit short courses (Southwest Climate Studio Art, Restoration Ecology in Greater Yellowstone, Environmental Ethics, Cycle the Rockies), and two pre-college courses — combining wilderness travel (backpacking, kayaking, canoeing, cycling) with upper-division coursework accredited through the University of Montana. Course enrollment is capped at 10-12 students with a 6:1 student-to-instructor ratio, and credits transfer to hundreds of colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada.

WRFI's business model is structurally nonprofit: tuition ranges from $3,250 to $16,995 per course depending on credit load and length, with a 2026 sliding-scale pilot for Montana Afoot & Afloat anchoring fees to household income ($250-$15,000). A parallel philanthropic revenue stream — donations, named scholarship funds (Matt Thomas, Beth Morris, Joel DiBiase, Davidson Honors College), and grants from sponsors such as the Roundhouse Foundation — subsidizes tuition for low-income students. The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer: rolling admissions via a Neon CRM portal, virtual information sessions, 1-on-1 advising with a Student Experience Manager, and a campus ambassador program at seven partner universities including UW-Madison, UVM, St. Lawrence, UCSB, and Montana State. The organization operates with approximately 7 full- and part-time staff in Missoula plus a network of seasonal field instructors, and all program operations are grounded in formal partnerships with the University of Montana, the Fort Belknap Indian Community, Davidson Honors College, and the National Student Exchange.

Name

Wild Rockies Field Institute

Legal name

Wild Rockies Field Institute

Website

https://wrfi.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Wild Rockies Field Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers field-based, university-accredited courses for college and pre-college students across the American West, serving individual learners from 100+ institutions through nine wilderness expedition programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Experiential Outdoor Education

NAICS

Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Field Schools & Experiential Academic Programs (Archaeology, Ecology, etc.) (EDAIAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA), Science Camps & Field Programs (Nature, Space, Marine, Geology) (EDAMABAB)

Keywords

• Experiential field education
• Outdoor college courses
• Place-based learning
• Environmental studies programs
• Wilderness field semester

Headquarters

HQ city

Missoula

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition Revenue: Primary revenue from course tuition fees ranging from $3,250 to $16,995 depending on course length and type. Sliding-scale tuition model piloted for Montana Afoot & Afloat based on household income.
2. Donations and Philanthropy: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, WRFI receives donations from supporters to fund scholarships and offset program costs for low-income students.
3. Scholarship Funding: Various named scholarship funds including Matt Thomas Scholarship, Beth Morris Scholarship, Joel DiBiase Memorial Scholarship, Davidson Honors College Scholarship, and others funded by donors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Wild Rockies Field Institute delivers academically rigorous, place-based field courses in the American West and Southwest for college and pre-college students. Programs range from 2 to 15 semester credits and combine backcountry expeditions (backpacking, kayaking, canoeing, cycling) with upper-division coursework in environmental studies, restoration ecology, conservation, climate change, studio art, and environmental ethics. All courses are accredited through the University of Montana and transferable to hundreds of institutions.

Product overview

Wild Rockies Field Institute is an independent nonprofit educational organization offering academically rigorous, place-based field courses for college and pre-college students. The company provides a portfolio of semester (12-15 credits) and short course (3-6 credits) programs in the American West and Southwest, including Colorado Plateau, Wild Rockies Conservation, Montana Afoot and Afloat, Cycle the Rockies, Restoration Ecology, Environmental Ethics, and Southwest Climate Studio Art. All courses offer upper-division University of Montana credit and combine academic study with wilderness travel (backpacking, kayaking, canoeing, cycling). Pre-College programs serve rising high school students through partnerships with University of Montana's Davidson Honors College.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Colorado Plateau: Desert Canyons & Cultures
• Southwest Climate Studio Art: Change and Resilience in the American Southwest
• Restoration Ecology in Greater Yellowstone
• Wild Rockies: Conservation Across Boundaries
• Cycle the Rockies: Energy and Climate Change in Montana
• Environmental Ethics: Climate Change and Visions of a Sustainable Future
• Montana Afoot and Afloat: Human/Land Relations
• Biking the Bitterroot: Sustainability Studies in Western MT (Pre-College)
• Environmental Ethics: Climate Change and Sense of Place (Pre-College)

Quantifiable outcome

• Courses accredited through University of Montana with established credit transfer agreements with hundreds of institutions

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of MontanacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1993All WRFI courses are accredited through the University of Montana. The Office of Educational Initiatives and Innovation serves as administrative liaison. WRFI offers courses through Environmental Studies, Natural Resource Science & Management, Native American Studies, Geography, Studio Art, Philosophy, and Climate Change Studies departments. Departmental leadership provides annual academic oversight.
• ArtToolkitminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtToolkit sponsors the Southwest Climate Studio Art course. Founder Maria Coryell-Martin is an expeditionary artist who created Art Toolkit products after her Watson Fellowship experience working with climate scientists. Provides watercolor sketching supplies and materials for the course.
• Fort Belknap Indian CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRFI holds a Partnership Agreement with the Fort Belknap Indian Community. Students on the Montana Afoot and Afloat course visit Fort Belknap Reservation for meetings with tribal elders and to learn about traditional ecological knowledge and conservation efforts including bison reintroduction with American Prairie Reserve.
• Davidson Honors College (University of Montana)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDavidson Honors College (DHC) is WRFI's on-campus partner for Montana Field Experience pre-college courses. Students can apply DHC credits toward their honors requirements at UM. DHC offers scholarship funding for accepted students. Partnership includes shared focus on experiential learning and interdisciplinary education.
• National Student ExchangeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWRFI participates in the National Student Exchange program, allowing students to attend WRFI courses through exchange agreements with their home institutions. Students attending through NSE receive a 5% discount.
• University of Wisconsin-MadisoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRFI has a dedicated section for UW-Madison students on their website, indicating a significant partnership. UW-Madison students receive the public institution discount from their home university. Multiple UW-Madison students are campus ambassadors.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Outward Bound USA: Outward Bound is the largest U.S. outdoor education provider with wilderness expedition programs. Comparable delivery model (multi-day wilderness courses, instructor-led) but focused on character/leadership rather than accredited environmental study.
• National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS): NOLS is a much larger outdoor education nonprofit offering wilderness courses. Overlaps with WRFI in outdoor skills and wilderness pedagogy, but NOLS is leadership/expedition focused rather than college-credit environmental studies.
• Earthwatch Institute: Earthwatch runs field research expeditions for students and adults across the world. Comparable in combining experiential field learning with environmental topics, but positioned more around citizen science and research contributions.
• Audubon Society (Education Programs): Audubon runs extensive environmental education programming including field-based experiences. Overlaps thematically with WRFI's ecology/conservation focus but operates at broader national scale rather than credit-bearing courses.

Direct peers

• Teton Science Schools: Teton Science Schools (formerly Teton Science School) provides place-based, field-driven education in Greater Yellowstone with academic credit pathways. Closely comparable to WRFI's place-based ecological curriculum in the same Northern Rockies region.
• Round River Conservation Studies: Round River runs field-based conservation study programs for university credit in North America and abroad. Comparable to WRFI in offering place-based ecology/conservation coursework tied to local landscapes and partners.
• School for Field Studies (SFS): SFS offers accredited, field-based environmental and sustainability programs for undergraduate credit across multiple global locations. It is the closest direct peer to WRFI in combining rigorous academics with place-based wilderness study.

Others

• Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): While primarily an advocacy organization, NRDC's environmental education and youth programs share WRFI's mission of connecting people to conservation issues. Considered a thematic/ecosystem peer rather than a direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Yellowstone Forever: Yellowstone Forever (formerly Yellowstone Association) runs field-based educational programs and Institutes in Yellowstone National Park. Overlaps with WRFI's Restoration Ecology in Greater Yellowstone and Wild Rockies Conservation courses.
• The Mountain Institute: The Mountain Institute runs experiential, place-based programs in mountain ecosystems with academic and youth components. Comparable to WRFI's field-based model and conservation curriculum in mountain landscapes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4gX2K9aZHVnkS861icqKGg
• Facebookfacebook.com/WildRockiesFieldInstitute
• Instagraminstagram.com/wild_rockies
• Xx.com/wrfi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wild-rockies-field-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wild Rockies Field Institute