Thank you for your interest in joining the Seattle Explorers/Jr. MAC Clubs! This survey is to formally gather a list of those interested in making this commitment and to equitably allot the available openings in the program. Current students wishing to re-enroll will be given priority in registration, and any remaining spots will be allocated to new students per the results of this lottery. The number of potentially available spots will not be shared with anyone. Just a heads up, you will need a Mountaineers membership to register for the Information Meeting and the Kickoff Trip if you are awarded a spot in the program. Learn more about Mountaineer Memberships here.
Have more than one child interested in joining? Please have each child submit a separate lottery application. Note that they have a sibling also applying under the "Anything else you want to share" section on this lottery form.
QUICK FACTS
- This program is strictly for ages 11-13 (or grades 5th – 8th)
- This program has capacity for 16 Explorers & 16 Jr. MAC members
- Students ages 10 & 11 are put in the Explorers program
- Students ages 12 & 13 are put in the Jr. MAC program
- Course fee is $2,000 per student
- Programming occurs from October 2026 through August 2027
- Due to the popularity of this program, we facilitate a lottery to allocate available roster spots
- Lottery closing date is end of day September 10th, 2026
- Folks who are not award a spot in the lottery in October, will be waitlisted and offered a spot, should a roster spot becomes available
TIMELINE OVERVIEW
- Lottery form accepting applicants June 2026
- Open House for Prospective Members – September 9th, 2026
- Lottery closes at end of day September 10th, 2026
- Lottery processed the morning of September 11th, 2026
COURSE FEE & PAYMENT
The program fee for the year is $2,000. The default payment method will be a 100% up-front payment upon online registration. At the Open House meeting September 9th, documents explaining in-full the program fee, how it is used, the refund policy, and an option to elect for installment payments will be handed out. The Mountaineers offers scholarships. If you anticipate needing a scholarship, please apply as soon as possible. Receipt of a scholarship does not guarantee enrollment.
OPEN HOUSE FOR PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS – SEPT 9TH
The Seattle Explorers/Jr. MAC Open House is for prospective and returning students and will be held September 17th from 6:00-8:00pm at the Seattle Program Center. Please ensure that you are registered for the open house. Attendance at this meeting is required for anyone wishing to join Explorers or Jr. MAC. Information about the program will be presented to everyone, the process for this lottery explained again, and it will be a chance for prospective students to meet returning students and ask questions. Anyone attending the meeting that has not taken this lottery survey will be reminded to do so.
THE LOTTERY
This lottery will stop accepting submissions September 10th at midnight. The lottery will be processed on September 11th at 9:00am and students/families receiving a spot will be notified shortly thereafter. They will then be invited to join the Kick-Off trip in Leavenworth and will receive details about the trip at that point. New students/families will be given at least 1-week advance notice that they have been awarded a spot in Explorers/Jr. MAC program and they are invited to join the Kick-off trip to try out the program before committing and request any climbing or camping gear from Youth Clubs Staff. If you do not receive an email from the youth clubs program manager after the information meeting, it means you weren't selected for a spot.
THE KICKOFF TRIP: SEPT 18TH – 20TH, INVITE ONLY
We offer a Kickoff trip or a "trial trip" where we will car camp, climb, and hike in Leavenworth. This trip will be open to returning students and those who have been awarded a spot in the program through this lottery and want to try out their fit with the program. Students who have expressed interest through this lottery or elsewhere but were not awarded a spot in the program through this lottery, unfortunately, will not be invited to the Kick-Off Trip. Club Staff will send you the registration link to the Kickoff trip if awarded a spot through the lottery.
WHAT COMES AFTER LOTTERY & KICKOFF TRIP
After lottery results have been processed and students notified, families will have the month of October to make the commitment and pay to register on either the Explorers or Jr. MAC course page. If students do not accept their invitation to Explorers & Jr. MAC, staff will work through the waitlist until all spots are filled. More details about registration will be shared with selected families after the lottery has been processed.