About Pathfinder Learning
Pathfinder Learning creates hands-on outdoor curriculum for teachers and group leaders serving grades 6–10. Its mission is to give young people the skills, judgment, and confidence to build meaningful lives outdoors.
Built Through Classroom Teaching
I developed Outdoor Survival: Applied Wilderness Skills after teaching outdoor survival as a public middle school elective for five years. My experience teaching the course shaped a curriculum that brings practical outdoor learning into the school day.
Students build, test, discuss, and improve their work. They use academic ideas to solve tangible problems, practice working with others, and reflect on the decisions they make.
Why Outdoor Learning Matters
I believe young people need opportunities to work with their hands, solve real problems, and get to know the places where they live. Outdoor learning gives students meaningful reasons to ask questions, try an approach, and reconsider it when something does not work.
My goal is to help students develop practical skills alongside the judgment and confidence to use them thoughtfully.
Meet Josh Smith
I’m a former secondary mathematics teacher, a mountaineer, and a ski patroller at Maverick Mountain in Montana and Kelly Canyon in Idaho. My classroom and outdoor experience both inform the curriculum I create.
I live in Idaho, where I enjoy climbing, skiing, fly fishing, and exploring public lands throughout the Rocky Mountains. When I’m not outdoors, I play cello and bass in local Celtic and bluegrass bands.