“The movement will not last, however, if it is not accepted and nourished by the people themselves….It must spread from family to family from house to house, from block to block, from neighborhood to neighborhood.. It must be securely rooted in community, in the shared understanding that at life transitions and crises we must go alone and empty to the wilderness so that new life status may be confirmed and imbalances in the community righted. Am I dreaming?”

Foster and Little: The Four Shields

Rites of Passage have always been supported by the whole community and we at the School of Lost Borders are blessed with a community willing to carry on this tradition. We are grateful for all the creative ways that people come up with to support our work and vision. Certainly the financial support is a necessity in our modern world, but spreading the word to friends, family, and community, and carrying on the work and practice in ones own life are vital to the health and sustainability of this ancient/modern way.

For over twenty-five years, the School has been committed to the continued reemergence of meaningful modern Rites of Passage. During these times of social and financial challenge it feels ever more important to support individuals in claiming their gifts, reconnecting with wild nature and living the life they long for.

Click here to donate online with your credit card via our secure server.

Click here for the form to donate by check:

General Fund:

The School believes in simplicity and we hold the intent of keeping our administrative costs down to the "bare bones"! We own no land, maintain no buildings and have just one full- time and one part-time paid employee. We are also committed to keeping our programs affordable and paying those who guide for the school decently.  And of course there are always expenses in running a non-profit to keep the computer and website maintained, as well as some basic bookkeeping expenses and those surprises that always arise. Your donation to this fund will assist the daily doings of the School, helping the center fire of the School's administration stay grounded and functional.

To donate to this fund please note “General Fund” on your check or Paypal payment.

The Steven Foster Memorial Scholarship Fund:

For thirty years Steven held a dream along with his beloved Meredith.  Books were written, a documentary made, thousands of circles sat in and thousands of stories listened to, all for the dream. This dream that some day meaningful rites of passage would be available to all people; that through initiatory practices we as a culture, as a species, would move beyond the dark threshold of adolescence and begin acting and making decisions as true stewards of the land and mature lovers of life and community.

The dream continues through all of us.  For modern initiatory practices to move into the body of our culture it will take the support and care of the whole community.  Shortly after Steven’s death in May of 2003 the School of Lost Borders received spontaneous donations, and a request to create a scholarship fund in Steven’s honor. For the last 9 years, with our communities support, this scholarship fund has provided financial assistance to those in need who are strongly called to undertake a rite of passage or to train with the School. In 2011 and 2012, the School provided more than 50 scholarships totaling more than $20,000.

 In an effort to support as many people as possible, our policy is to offer scholarships of approximately one third of the base tuition. We also encourage applicants to find and build support in their own communities.  As a donor you can make a donation in a participant’s name to support someone close to your heart directly in their rite of passage, by paying for part of their tuition, and you will still receive the benefit of a tax deduction.  We are fully committed to working creatively with finances, so as to never let money be the obstacle to a rite of passage. 

To donate to this fund please note “Scholarship Fund” on your check or Paypal payment.

Global Fund:

The School is committed to supporting the reintroduction of meaningful and culturally appropriate rites of passage experiences around the world.  Over the last decades it has been instrumental in training people in this work from around the globe, providing personal as well as financial support when needed.  This has led to an ever growing network of committed and highly skilled guides to carry on the work and training in many countries.  

The establishment of an International Wilderness Guides Gathering was initiated by the School, with its first well attended meeting in Germany in 2002.  Since then the international gathering has been held in South Africa (2004), England (2006), and in the United States in 2009.  The next and 5th gathering will be in the Ukraine in September 2012, organized by 2 amazing Ukrainians who previously trained with the school to further the Vision Fast work that they have begun in their country.

Traveling expenses alone often make attending a training in the United States almost impossible for those coming from less economically developed countries even though they are passionate about bringing this work to their communities.   Contributing to this fund will help us to continue to say ‘yes’ to those who have heard the call to bring this work to their people.

One example of this is Linda Mtshive, who has been an Educo Facilitator for 7 years, leading youth programs for personal and leadership development in South Africa. After doing her own Vision Quest with Educo in 2009, with the help of the Global Scholarship Fund, she was able to participate in the 2012 Month-Long training in June. (For more information on Educo go to http://www.educo.org.za/?page_id=44)

Another woman who came to train with us this year is Jaroslava Vatay from the Czech Republic.  Jaroslava has a fierce desire to bring rites of passage to her people and is exploring ways to offer Vision Fasts and medicine walks in her country.

For 2013 we have already approved a substantial scholarship for Lerato Kossie, a young man from South Africa who has fasted with Coleridge Daniel in Cape Town in 2003 and heads a call to bring healing to the youth in South Africa. 

To donate to this fund please note “Global Fund” on your check or paypal payment.

Global Teacher’s Fund:

For every person that came from abroad to train at the school, there are many others in their community that have been touched by the ceremony because of these pioneers, much like ripples in the waters go out in ever widening circles.  

Educo in South Africa is a prime example of that.  Wiebke Nedel, the General Manager and her Program Director Duncan Souchon have been committed to a strong rite of passage emphasis at Educo for years and have enabled several of their staff members to train at the school.  And the dream continues.  They have now invited Meredith to return to South Africa in the spring of 2013 to deepen the training of their entire staff in the Mirroring Process and The Practice of Living and Dying, which they now have added as a component in their organization in support of their AIDS work.

Meredith has also said yes to a request from the Ukrainians to help establish a training program of their own and to spread the word through the Ukraine and she is planning to travel to the Ukraine in the Fall of 2013.

Your contribution to The Global Teacher’s Fund will gather supplemental support to make it possible for Meredith to respond to these and other invitations of less privileged countries in 2013 and beyond that are lacking the resources to access training.  Her projected need for 2013 is $15,000. 

The larger dream that this has spawned, is to eventually also support other SOLB staff members alongside Meredith to respond to inquiries form international organizations for trainings or participation in conferences in their countries.

To donate to this fund please note “Global Teacher’s Fund” on your check or credit card payment.