Will Steger’s Vision

Simplicity, serenity, and selfsufficiency are gifts the wilderness gives to those who seek them, and often also to those who don’t realize they need them. They are abundant at the Steger Wilderness Center, generously bestowed on students, staff, and visitors. Like sunshine on seedlings, these qualities induce growth without much effort on the part of those doing the growing. New perspectives sprout as, relieved of the distractions of media and the expectations of modern life, awareness of the natural world and the place of humanity within it grows. Community living fertilizes compassion. Hope becomes part of the landscape on both a personal and global level. Intentions blossom into the fruits of material and social change, spreading seeds that may transform the planet.

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That’s a lot of heady thought to describe a place grounded in hard physical work to provide shelter, food, water, and other necessities of daily human life. But it’s a reflection of Will Steger’s way of being in the world. Will is tough on a physical and mental level, as any polar explorer would need to be. At age 79 he still does two-months-long solo expeditions in the Arctic every year to recharge his soul and reaffirm his commitment to changing how humans impact the natural world. The Steger Center is also tough, with cabins and workshops built mostly from materials in the surrounding forest, gardens eked out of rocky soil, paths worn from foot traffic enhanced by occasional shovel work, and an open-air summer kitchen where hearty meals are made from simple ingredients, and refrigeration is provided from the previous winter’s cold, stored in the ice house. Yet at the center of it is an amazing structure that is symbolic of the transformation Will seeks.

The Conference Center building design was first sketched on a scrap of paper while Will and fellow explorers were pinned down in their tents during a days-long blizzard in Antarctica. Like many other geniuses such as Albert Einstein and Steven Spielberg, Will was identified as being “slow” during his school years. He considers this lucky because he was put into a tradesoriented track where he learned drafting. This, along with skills in woodworking, carpentry, and stone masonry, served him well in constructing the Conference Center as well as his homestead. Will’s long-range vision for this amazing building is as a retreat for world leaders to participate in conferences that will have global significance for world peace, humanitarianism, and climate change.

The film After Antarctica has won many awards and been featured at famous film festivals worldwide, as well as last year’s End of the Road Film Festival in Ely with Will in attendance. See AfterAntarctica.com for more about the expedition and a trailer.

The wilderness setting, rather than the building itself, is the most significant part of that view, allowing participants to be influenced by the miraculous characteristics of nature and so become inspired to change how humanity treats the planet and one another. “Nothing like this exists,” says Will. “There is no model to emulate. We are starting with a pilot program in 2024 and expect it to be less than a decade before it becomes an international conference venue. I hope to be around to see it.”

That dream has begun with steps that seem small compared to the accomplishments that will be required to achieve the full measure of the dream. But everything worthwhile starts with an idea and small steps. People are already coming to the Steger Center for projects that improve the world in small ways and their lives in big ways. One of these is the Summit Academy OIC project, a collaboration between the Center and Summit Academy in Minneapolis. Selected from their Summit classmates, two group of students each summer develop their trade skills with hands-on learning at the Steger Center. Summit Academy OIC students, ages 22-50, are provided with a no-out-ofpocket-costs education focused on ensuring they will have careers as wellqualified professionals. (OIC stands for Opportunities Industrialization Centers. These were established in 1964 in response to the lack of employment and job training programs in African American communities. These programs, now available in several states to people who are financially challenged regardless of race or culture, offer opportunity to individuals who might otherwise have a limited chance of earning a middle-class income.) 90% are placed in good jobs right after graduation, earning an income that will allow them to purchase a home and support a family or pursue other interests with further education. The other 10% may be starting their own business or taking a break but moving into the work force within the next year. The three weeks at the Steger Center are the culmination of a 20-week course of fulltime study. In the wilderness setting they learn much more than skills, finding the value in sustainability, environmental protection, and community. They have also learned to enjoy fishing, paddling, wildlife watching, and campfires after long days of hard work.

Beth has been a carpentry instructor and mentor to students in the Construction program at Summit Academy since its inception ten years ago. Now good friends with Will, she comes to Ely to kayak when on vacation and for the Center’s Ice Ball in winter–the annual party for cutting and storing ice for summer refrigeration. When the collaboration with Summit began, Beth took on the role of supervising and instructing the students during their time in Ely as they practice every aspect of building cabins from foundation to roofing. Seeing the students develop their confidence, skill level, and appreciation for working together is the reward that keeps her coming back every year.

Benj was one of last summer’s students who especially enjoyed fishing. He was surprised at how comfortable the lifestyle at the Steger Center is, given that the usual amenities of running water, flush toilets, and AC at the flick of a switch were entirely missing. He learned that an outhouse doesn’t have to be smelly and a dip in the lake is more pleasant than dialing up the AC. Benj was impressed that his teachers were so knowledgeable and could teach so effectively. Glad to have this chance to get more hands-on experience than if he hadn’t been selected for the Steger group, he is grateful that Summit gave him an education he could not have afforded without their financial aid.

Damarius was in a bad situation when he heard about Summit Academy on the radio. He had done well in a woodworking shop class in high school, but now at age 27 he knew he needed a change in his life, so he “went for it.” He was granted an interview right away after applying, started the program soon, and after 17 weeks was hand-picked by Beth to be part of the Steger group. He found the self-sufficient lifestyle was not a hassle, loved sleeping in a cabin, and sat by the campfire every night. On completing the course, he had a job waiting for him as a carpenter with a residential contractor. His income will allow him to provide a comfortable home with his two-year-old daughter and her mother.

As great as the Summit Academy program is, it is a small fraction of what happens now and what is planned for the future at the Steger Center. Will developed his appreciation for experiential learning when he worked at the Voyageur Outward Bound School in Ely in the early 1970s. After receiving his Masters degree in Education, he designed programs for K-12 in a traditional school setting, but came to believe that skill-based learning provided a more effective education. The rest of the pages in this magazine would not be enough to document Will’s accomplishments, which include founding many non-profits focused on climate change and other environmental crises, leading record-holding polar expeditions to the North and South poles, writing books, building his homestead near Ely, creating Lynx Track School to teach dogsledding and other winter skills, and networking with international leaders and business people to fund and develop programs to support the next generation of advocates for a healthy planet. For 30 years his dream of the Center fueled work at his property. He dogsledded a million pounds of gravel from a pit three miles away to make the foundation for the Conference Center. Eventually he realized he needed a road to the property, which had been accessible only by boat in summer and dogteam or skis in winter. He built cabins and workshops, created a large solar installation, and continued to develop programs to help others learn the skills for self-sufficiency, putting every cent and every spare hour into making his place a wilderness learning retreat.

Many of the non-profits Will founded are still active, including Climate Generation and the Global Center for Environmental Education now at Hamline University. During the pandemic, as the reality of mortality came to the front of everyone’s mind, Will worked with lawyers to give away all his property and assets. Everything was donated to the 501c3 nonprofit, The Steger Center for Innovation and Leadership. The Steger Center nonprofit is managed by a board and will ensure the continuation of Will’s efforts beyond his lifetime. But for now he hopes for another decade of active involvement in bringing his dream into reality, forging the relationships that will establish a global effort to reduce climate change and its devastating impact on humanity, as well as improve life on Earth for many generations to come.

There are not a lot of people who are able to have as strong an influence on the world as Will has had and will continue to have. But he is humble, loving to spend his summer and autumn days doing the carpentry and daily chores at the Center and hanging out with the students and visitors. The necessity of fundraising and networking to keep his programs actively serving young people takes over his winter months, then in April he’s off for his solo trip in the far North, and finally back to his beloved homestead to oversee more hands-on learning and the last details of constructing the Center.

“Transformation is a big word, not to be used casually,” says Will. But the concept is one he has dedicated his life to. One that has created a legacy of learning by doing, living with wilderness, and caring for our planet and all its people. Will’s vision is nothing short of transformation on a global scale.

Learn more or offer support to the Steger Center at StegerCenter.org. See Will’s books at Piragis Bookstore or find them at the Ely Public Library.

HELP WANTED Experience not necessary. Must have positive attitude. Variety of jobs for Ely organizations. Pay $0.00/hour. Benefits include appreciation, friendship, and feelin’ good. Contact your favorite organization asap.