Teton Science School

We use LeBus, a long-standing Utah transportation provider, with professional drivers, for travel to and from Jackson, Wyoming. While at TSS students are transported in multi-passenger vans, and TSS-staff are required to have a Commercial Driver’s License to drive students.

We post daily to a Google photo album, so you can follow along at home!

Our time at the Tetons is purposely planned to be an unplugged / technology free experience for the students

Please help support this rare opportunity for students to disconnect and enjoy being in nature and interacting with each other. Students are welcome to bring phones and other electronic devices for use during the bus ride, but they will be collected and stored securely once the students arrive at TSS. You’ll be asked to provide a small bag/case with your name on it for storing your electronics.

Students may bring standalone cameras, but will not have access to phones for taking pictures during the week. But staff take many, MANY photos during the week and will upload them daily to a shared Google photo album so you can follow the camp adventures from home and download any photos you’d like to keep.

During the day, students are sorted into “Field Groups” of 10-12 students, plus a TSS Instructor and a SLArts teacher or parent. These Field Groups spend the day outside doing place-based activities studying the ecology of the Grand Teton National Park. Students will be hiking, taking samples, journaling, exploring, and enjoying an unplugged week in nature. In the evenings, there are structured games, additional educational activities, and free time.

TSS provides ALL meals and snacks during our stay at camp (meals are included in the camp fee).

Students are allowed and encouraged to bring their own food for the bus ride to TSS and they will need to bring their own lunch on Monday. The bus will stop at a gas station during the drive up and students are welcome to purchase snacks and drinks for the ride. (The bus will also stop on the ride back to SLC.)

Students are not allowed to bring snacks into the TSS dorms (it attracts wild animals) and will need to pass any uneaten bus snacks to the TSS guides when they arrive. If bagged and labeled, students can retrieve these snacks (along with their phone) for the drive home.

Special dietary needs and restrictions are easily accommodated with advance notice. You can select Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free, etc on the electronic TSS form or contact them directly to request any dietary needs.

In extreme cases, those with special dietary restrictions may be asked to bring some of their own food items to supplement, in an effort to ease anxiety and make sure a student has options, just in case. Food brought from home in the case of dietary restrictions can be stored in the kitchen and accessed at meal times.

Students should expect to bring a duffle or suitcase, which will be transported via the bus, as well as a backpack or bag to keep with them on the bus (with lunch, snacks, electronics etc.) Parents/guardians will receive a detailed packing list provided by TSS, as well as a list of prohibited items.

The short version of that list is that students should be prepared for all kinds of weather, including wet and cold conditions. They will need five days worth of comfortable clothing, especially layers, lots of socks, a good jacket, and good hiking shoes. A winter hat, coat, and gloves, as well as snow pants are recommended for October TSS visits. Sturdy walking shoes or boots are required for outdoor activities; sandals/flip flops are fine for indoor use.

All participants need to bring their own bedding, including a towel, pillowcase, blanket or sleeping bag, and full-sized flat sheet. Students also need a refillable water bottle, a sun hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen, as well as their own personal toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, etc.)

Please let us know if you have any issue acquiring proper gear! Don’t let this stop you from sending your student to TSS. We can help!

Contact Nicole [email protected] in the SLArts business office with any questions or concerns. TSS also has some personal gear available to lend to students who may have left items at home. The collection of loanable personal gear includes winter boots, snow pants, waterproof jackets and pants, additional water bottles, fleece tops, hats, gloves, and sunglasses. Any gear loaned to participants will be collected and washed at the end of the program.

No additional money is required for the trip. However, students are able to bring money to purchase snacks at the gas station during our rest stop, and may also want to buy something at the TSS gift shop (water bottle, tshirt, hoodie, etc.) Most students bring a little cash for snacks but won’t need much more than that.

The TSS Staff is fully trained for first aid, and if an injury is serious, parents will be notified immediately to discuss plans for treatment in Jackson, or if the student needs to be picked up from the TSS.

With some exceptions (inhalers, epi-pens, etc.), adults must hold and administer student medications including prescriptions and pain killers.

If your student has been taking regular medications for any reason please do NOT take them off of them for this trip – SLArts staff will administer them as directed. Parents will be asked to send an email with the student name, name of medication(s), and instructions for dosage and time of day before the trip. On the morning of departure day clearly labeled medications should be given to Mr Clark (boys) or Ms Sanchez (girls) before students board the bus.

If you need to your student or a SLArts staff member during the trip for emergency purposes you can contact Ms. Candler, Mr. Clark or other SLArts Staff directly, or call the TSS main number; TSS will always have the ability to get in contact with us wherever we are. All phone numbers will be provided before students leave for TSS. The SLArts office can also contact TSS for you.

Please note that chaperone cell phones may not have cell coverage in the canyon for voice calls or sms texts, but will have internet to receive iMessages or emails, etc.

Students are carefully and thoughtfully sorted into 4 to 6-person dorm groups by our student support team (Ms. Markell, Ms. Mautz, and Ms. Candler) who will solicit student input before the trip. Students may or may not be placed with their very favorite friend, but we work hard to make the groupings feel kind and safe and positive for all kids.

Students sleep in modest dorm rooms, with shared bathrooms. The dorms are single-gender dorms, and students are not allowed to visit the other dorms. There will be several “safe rooms” with mixed genders, and gender-neutral rooms for students who identify as such. Adults do not share rooms with students, but are in the same hall.

Talk to us! As noted above, we have worked with these concerns in the past. We can provide additional details and context, as well as options like private rooms, off-campus housing, etc. There are many possibilities and we will work with you to make sure you and your student feel safe and comfortable.

There are very clear expectations about behavior during the trip, including a zero tolerance policy for drugs, alcohol or weapons. Students who violate those expectations will need to be picked up by a parent in Jackson.

The fee changes slightly each year, but averages around $800, which covers science school tuition, all food for the week, lodging in on-site dorms, and the bus trip to and from Jackson, Wyoming. This fee is charged to 8th Grade families at the beginning of the school year, but the payment deadline can be pushed as far out as the end of the school year. 

We ask that families pay for the trip in full or make arrangements for fee waivers and payment plans before the departure date. Please note that payment plans are available to spread the cost of the trip across the school year, and the full amount does NOT have to be paid first in order for your student to attend.

Please see below for information about fee waivers, payment plans, and options to help make sure ALL families are able to send their 8th grader to the Tetons.

Please contact Nicole at [email protected] with all questions and concerns about the cost of the TSS trip. We are committed to providing confidential payment plans and financial aid, including the total cost of camp if needed. We want to make it possible for ALL 8th Graders to attend the TSS.