Frequently Asked Questions

On Tuesday, January 30, 2024, there will be optional pre-conference workshops/events. The Gathering itself will take place on Wednesday, January 31, and Thursday, February 1, 2024. To view the draft schedule, visit the Event Schedule page.

Yes. All participants agree to the following Code of Conduct upon registration:

Code of Conduct for OSU Extension Outdoor School Events 

The OSU Extension Service Outdoor School program is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, welcoming, and productive environment for all our events. The OSU Extension Outdoor School program expects that activities held under its backing, whether in-person or virtual, promote the full participation or, engagement and belonging of all attendees and are free of harassment, unwelcoming or exclusionary conduct, discriminatory actions, or innuendo. This Code of Conduct is essential to promoting diversity and creating an inclusive, supportive, and collaborative environment for all people.

All OSU Extension Outdoor School program participants–including, but not limited to, attendees, speakers, volunteers, exhibitors, OSU Extension Outdoor School staff, vendors, and service providers–are expected to abide by this Code of Conduct. The expectation is that all outdoor school activities, whether in-person or virtual, promote the full participation, engagement, and belonging of all attendees and are free of harassment, unwelcoming or exclusionary conduct, discriminatory actions, or innuendo.

The overarching objective of this policy guidance is to engender productive outcomes in all OSU Extension Outdoor School events that embrace and respect all participants. Although this guidance does not specifically set forth every possible event or activity that OSU Extension Outdoor School holds, all participants in outdoor school functions are expected to understand the aims of this guidance and to make reasonable extrapolations to specific circumstances. 

Expected Behavior

• Treat all participants with kindness, respect, and consideration, valuing a diversity of views and opinions (including those you may not share).

• Communicate openly, with respect for other participants, critiquing ideas rather than individuals.

• Refrain from demeaning, discriminatory, or harassing behavior and speech directed toward other participants.

• Be mindful of your surroundings and of your fellow participants. Alert OSU Extension Service Outdoor School staff if you notice a dangerous situation or someone in distress.

• Respect the rules and policies of the meeting venue, hotels, OSU Extension-contracted facility, or any other venue.

• Listen well to others; enable or create space for a diversity of voices in group discussions, in breakout sessions, on panels, through Q&A, and the like;

• Be collaborative. Be mindful not to exert dominance over others. Consider the effect of relationship, position, experience, privilege power differentials, and other factors to avoid dominance;

• Demonstrate that differing perspectives are valued—critique ideas (not people);

• Demonstrate welcome for a diversity of individuals and their identities—be respectful and appreciative of the contributions of persons with wide-ranging (dis)abilities;

• Immediately comply if any convening leader or facilitator of an activity/session/event, or any OSU Extension Service Outdoor School staff member directs a participant to stop a behavior or comment. Subsequent opportunities to address differences of view or concerns are available by contacting OSU Extension Service Outdoor School staff. 

• Respect and adhere to all policies and procedures of the OSU Extension Outdoor School.

Unacceptable Behavior

• Harassment, intimidation, or discrimination in any form. Harassment includes speech or behavior that is not welcome or is personally offensive. Behavior that is acceptable to one person may not be acceptable to another, so use discretion to be certain respect is communicated. Harassment intended in a joking manner still constitutes unacceptable behavior.

• Examples of unacceptable behavior include, but are not limited to:

• Physical or verbal abuse of any participant

• Unwelcome or offensive verbal comments or exclusionary behavior related to age, appearance or body size, employment or military status, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, individual lifestyle, marital status, national origin, physical or cognitive ability, political affiliation, sexual orientation, race, or religion

• Inappropriate physical contact

• Unwanted sexual attention

• Use of sexual or discriminatory images in public spaces or in presentations

• Deliberate intimidation, stalking, or following

• Sustained disruption of talks or other events

• Bullying behavior

• Retaliation for reporting unacceptable behavior

• Do not engage in biased, demeaning, intimidating, coercive, or harassing/hostile conduct or commentary, whether seriously or in jest (e.g., based on power differential, gender [sex, identity, expression], sexual orientation, race, ethnicity or national origin, religion, marital status, veteran status, age, physical appearance, disability, body size or other physical appearance, or other identities).

• Do not engage in personal attacks.

• Do not engage in threats of violence or threats of harm of any kind. Do not create or contribute to an unsafe or unwelcoming situation.

• Do not retaliate against or disadvantage anyone for reporting a conduct concern or assisting in its resolution. Do not make bad-faith accusations.

• Do not (a) take/make (in any medium) any pictures or audio–or visual recordings of meetings or participants that maliciously portray a situation or person(s) or (b) distribute them (via social media or other means) without their explicit authorization.

Immediate serious threat to public safety

• Anyone experiencing or witnessing behavior that constitutes an immediate or serious threat to public safety at any time should contact local law enforcement and immediately notify OSU Extension Outdoor School staff and facility security.

Reporting Unacceptable Behavior

• If you are not in immediate danger but feel that you are the subject of unacceptable behavior, have witnessed any such behavior, or have other concerns, please notify an OSU Extension Outdoor School staff member (as soon as possible) who can work with appropriate OSU Extension Outdoor School leadership to resolve the situation. All reports will be treated seriously and responded to promptly.

• Once OSU Extension Outdoor School staff is notified they will discuss the details first with the individual filing the complaint, then any witnesses who have been identified, and then the alleged offender before determining an appropriate course of action. Confidentiality will be maintained to the extent that it does not compromise the rights of others. 

Consequences

• Anyone requested to stop unacceptable behavior is expected to comply immediately.

• OSU Extension Outdoor School staff (or their designee) or security may take any immediate action deemed necessary and appropriate, including removal from the meeting or event without warning or refund.

• The matter may include further consequences, including prohibiting attending future meetings and events.

For any questions about this policy, please email OSU Extension Outdoor School at outdoorschool@oregonstate.edu. 

Yes!

We are looking for volunteers to help with the following tasks:

• Traffic Director - help coordinate parking, direct vehicles (outdoors)
• Registration Support - help check in attendees and/or presenters (indoors)
• Greeter - welcoming people and providing directions (indoors and outdoors)
• Move-in Support - helping people move belongings into cabins and get settled (indoors and outdoors; Tuesday and Wednesday; involves walking and lifting)
• Move-out Support - helping people carry/transport items to their cars (indoors and outdoors; Thursday; involves walking and lifting)
• Runner - move items between buildings and support other emerging requests (indoors and outdoors; involves walking and lifting)

We will waive registration fees for attendees who volunteer for at least four hours during the Gathering. Visit the Registration page to sign up as a volunteer and register with a waived fee. (In the Registration Fees section, there is a toggle to move between "Attendee," "Volunteer," and "Presenter" information.)

No. We’re planning for a fully in-person conference.

By selecting to stay off-site, you are responsible for making your own arrangements and for paying all fees resulting from your off-site stay. While you are under no obligation to use this facility, we have obtained a discounted rate for a small block of rooms (20) at The Holman Riverfront Park, 195 Commercial St SE, Salem, OR 97301 (16 minutes from the 4H Center)
Cost: $ 149/Night - Contact: (971) 900–5560 - Parking fee: $ 20/Night Valet Parking

click here for link to hotel registration.

Fees for this event include all food, lodging, and conference activities from January 30th to February 1st. The fee to attend per person is $250 (a value of $550). However, to accommodate and welcome as many participants as possible, we are offering a sliding scale of payment. Registration closed on January 17, 2024. 

Registration closed on January 17, 2024. If you are a presenter and haven't registered, please contact outdoorschool@oregonstate.edu.

We waived registration fees for attendees who volunteer for at least four hours during the Gathering.

Visit https://signup.com/go/rMFBbSA to sign up for volunteer slots. 

Registration closed on January 17, 2024.

Yes, meals are provided in your registration:

• Lunch on Tuesday, January 30 (If Pre-Conference was selected during Registration)
• Dinner on Tuesday, January 30 (If Pre-Conference dinner was selected during Registration)
• Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner on Wednesday, January 31
• Breakfast and Lunch on Thursday, February 1

Coffee, tea, and water stations will be provided throughout the Gathering and snacks will be set out between meals on January 31 and February 1. We planned meals with consideration for the food preferences/allergies indicated during registration, but because we cannot guarantee cross contamination, we advise that those with serious food allergies consider bringing your own food and the 4-H Center will provide refrigerator space for your food. Food should not be kept in lodging spaces.

The registration table will be open:

• Tuesday, January 30, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Wednesday, January 31, from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Thursday, February 1, from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Registration will be located in John Gray Hall, which is uphill from the parking lot. Attendees needing ADA parking may drive directly to John Gray Hall. Other attendees should:

• use the shuttle service from the parking lot to John Gray Hall, running from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, and from 7:30 to 9 a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, or
• walk up the hill from the parking lot to John Gray Hall

Registration opens at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, January 30th to accommodate those who are attending pre-conference sessions and/or would like to be settled in prior to the start of the full event on January 31st. Registered attendees may arrive on the 30th even if they are not attending a pre-conference session.

Packing List

Clothes and Personal Items

• Weather-appropriate clothes (warm layers!)

• Jacket

• Raincoat

• Sturdy shoes to walk on uneven surfaces

• Warm Hat and gloves

• Socks

• Medication(s)

Lodging Items, for those staying at the 4-H Center

• Sleeping bag (there is a sleeping pad on each bunk), or sheets and blankets if you don’t have a sleeping bag

• Pillow(s)

• Toiletries

• Towel (showers are available)

• Cabin shoes

• Shower shoes

Other

• Reusable water bottle

• Notebook and pen/pencil

• Flashlight and/or headlamp

• Musical instruments for campfire

• Wood cookie/nametag (if you already have one)

• Games and/or books for evening activities

• Business cards (if you have them)

DO NOT BRING

• Any food or soda, unless necessary for dietary restrictions

• Pets (service animals that meet specifications set forth in ADA requirements are allowed. See the FAQ below for more information)

Only service animals that meet specifications set forth in ADA regulations are allowed:

Any dog (or under particular circumstances set forth in the ADA regulations at 28 CFR 35.136(i), a miniature horse may qualify as a service animal) individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability and meets the definition of “service animal” under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) regulations at 28 CFR 35.104. The work or tasks performed must be directly related to the individual’s disability.

Examples include, but are not limited to: assisting individuals who are blind or have low vision with navigation and other tasks, alerting individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to the presence of people or sounds, providing non-violent protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, assisting an individual during a seizure, alerting individuals to the presence of allergens, retrieving items such as medicine or the telephone, providing physical support and assistance with balance and stability to individuals with mobility disabilities, and helping persons with psychiatric and neurological disabilities by preventing or interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors. The crime deterrent effects of an animal's presence and the provision of emotional support, well-being, comfort, or companionship do not constitute work or tasks for the purposes of this definition.

Pets are not allowed.

Your registration for the Gathering includes meals, as well as snacks and hot beverages.

Meal Menus

January 30, Lunch
Baked Potato Bar (GF, VG Options) - Large baked potatoes served with sour cream, butter, salsa, broccoli, green onions, bacon, cheese, & vegetarian chili. With a garden salad. 

January 30, Dinner 
Peruvian Chicken - Seasoned bone-in chicken marinated and roasted. Served with Aji Verde Sauce. 

Portobello Mushroom Cassoulet (GF, VG) - Savory stew of garlic, white beans, and portobello mushrooms and topped with baked with gluten-free breadcrumbs.

Tri-Color Baby Roasted Potatoes (GF, VG) 

Roasted Vegetable Medley (GF, VG) 

January 31, Breakfast
All-American Breakfast (GF) -Scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, side of bacon and sausage.

Vegan All-American (GF) - Vegan scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, side of bacon and sausage.

January 31, Lunch
Penne Pasta Bar - Choice of marinara & meatballs, alfredo sauce and chicken, and vegan marinara option. (GF, VG Options) Served with garden salad and garlic breadsticks.

January 31, Dinner
Steak Au Poivre - Peppercorn encrusted flank steak in a decadent brandied cream sauce.

Ratatouille (GF, VG) Hearty mix of eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, onion, tomato, chickpeas, and herbs. 

Charred Broccoli (GF, VG) 

Tri-Color Roasted Baby Potatoes (GF, VG) 

February 1, Breakfast
Loaded Breakfast Burritos (GF, VG Options) - Flour tortillas stuffed with fresh hashbrowns, cheese, eggs, ham, bacon, and sausage. Served with sour cream and salsa. 

February 1, Lunch
Chicken Fajita Bar (GF, VG Options) - Grilled chicken with peppers and onions, served with refried beans, and toppings such as salsa and sour cream.