Applications are now closed. Sign-up for updates on the next program!
program
Spend a month exploring the “The Crown Jewel of the Continent”—recharge amongst the golden aspen and turquoise waters below a bright blue October sky.
Sitting on the border of Montana and Alberta, Canada, Glacier National Park is an unbelievably stunning location and ideal backdrop for a sabbatical. This is truly an opportunity to get away from it all. As the crowds dissipate and the stillness of fall in the park settles in, your journey will just be beginning.
Our community hosts for this Fall 2019 program, Glacier National Park Conservancy, are providing an opportunity to stay in nearby staff housing, otherwise unavailable to the public, and an opportunity to work on impactful creative projects that support this magical place.
Community host
Glacier National Park Conservancy
Amble's community hosts are our local partners and collaborators in need of creative services in our sabbatical destinations. These organizations are nonprofits and conservancies whose missions are to serve, protect, and enrich the communities and natural environment around them.
Glacier National Park Conservancy, a private non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, is the official non-profit fundraising partner of Glacier National Park.
Their mission is to assure the Glacier National Park experience by providing support for preservation, education, and research through philanthropy and outreach.
“Give a month at least to this precious reserve. The time will not be taken from the sum of your life. Instead of shortening, it will indefinitely lengthen it and make you truly immortal. Nevermore will time seem short or long, and cares will never again fall heavily on you, but gently and kindly as gifts from heaven.”
Projects
We’ve worked with Glacier National Park Conservancy and Parks Project to identify small but impactful creative projects for this program. We will continue to refine and scope the projects along with the selected creatives prior to the Fall 2019 program.
creatives we’re seeking
We are currently seeking the following creative professionals to work with Glacier National Parks Conservancy and Parks Project:
Visual Designers & Illustrators
Product Designers
Photographers*
E-Commerce & Marketing Experts
Content Strategists
Digital Project Managers
Makers, of any kind! *
Ceramicists, screen printers, glassmakers, painters, jewelers, illustrators, textile artists, fashion designers, and so on—all are encouraged to apply!* Includes project opportunities with Parks Project.
Creatives selected to work with Parks Project will be tasked with translating their park experience into an artifact—whether pottery, jewelry, screen printed posters, textiles, or other crafted items—that can be reproduced in a small batch and sold as a limited edition product for Parks Project’s Meet the Makers series, supporting the parks. Additional details:
Creatives selected to work with Parks Project will be asked to generate at minimum (1) concept and/or version of the product and a plan for reproducing it at the conclusion of their sabbatical.
For projects extending beyond the sabbatical period (including sales of products designed during the sabbatical), Parks Project will enter into an agreement with the artist to determine artist compensation and production logistics.
what to expect
You are expected to dedicate 1/3 of your time on projects.
You’'ll be asked to spend roughly 2.5 days (or 18 hours) a week on project work. You’re welcome to do whatever you wish during the remainder of the time—like go for hikes, read a book or explore a new hobby! Think of it as flipping your work week with your weekend.You will work on and deliver individual projects.
While collaboration is possible throughout the program, there is no expectation for you to work with others. If groupthink happens naturally, that’s great! But please understand that you will be solely responsible for the delivery of your own project.You will lead projects independently.
You should be able to lead your own project from start to finish. This is in an effort to keep your sabbatical time flexible. The Amble team will support projects as necessary, and check in weekly to ensure projects stay on track and that creatives have what they need to successfully do their work.
read more
Check out our Experience page to be sure this program is the right fit for you!
THINKING AboUT taking A SABBATICAL?
Applications for our Fall 2019 program are now closed
Join our newsletter to receive updates on future programs!
Lodging
We partner with our community hosts to provide unique lodging in our program destinations, often otherwise unavailable to the public. Glacier National Park Conservancy will be providing private lodging in their employee housing in Hungry Horse, MT—just a 10 minute drive to the West Glacier entrance to the park.
Room types:
Private Rooms
Shared Rooms
Private Apartment
Rooms include:
Twin bed(s)
Bedding: bed linens, blanket, pillows
Storage space
Families welcome!
We are family-friendly and encourage any and all families to apply! The house features a private ground-level apartment with multiple beds, living area, a separate bedroom, full kitchen and bathroom.
*Note: Programming may require additional costs for additional family members.
Live on the Middle Fork of the Flathead River and sit around the campfire at night to look up at the stars in the big Montana sky.
Details
This one-acre property sits next to the Flathead River, which you can enjoy from the deck, large backyard, or bluff above—or make your way down to it using the property’s private access. You can also enjoy the views inside next to the warmth and glow of the fireplace, or enjoy the company of other creatives in the spacious living and dining areas.
The house includes:
Private rooms, shared rooms, and a private apartment (w/ private full kitchen, bathroom, living area and 1 bedroom)
(3) shared bathrooms
Large kitchen, dining area, and all of your kitchen essentials (i.e. fridge, oven, stovetop, appliances, utensils, dishes, cups, mugs, pots, pans, etc)
Furnished living area with a fireplace and deck access
Large, shaded backyard with fruit trees, campfire ring, picnic table, and access to the Flathead River
Amenities: WIFI, forced heat, laundry room (w/ washer and dryer), ample storage
WHAT TO EXPECT
Shared Housing
You will be staying in a large home and sharing space with other creatives in the program. While there is ample space to do your own thing, it is important you come prepared to be in shared communal spaces (i.e. kitchen, living room, deck), and to set and communicate boundaries if you’d prefer a more independent experience.
WIFI
Need consistent WIFI? A good WIFI internet connection will be available at the house, however, “good” is relative in rural areas. If you live in an urban environment, it will likely not be what you’re used to—mountains and other environmental challenges can lead to a slower, inconsistent connection. You will be within a short drive of the towns of Whitefish, Columbia Falls and Kalispell, MT—all with many options to work remotely, if needed. If you can, we recommend taking advantage of being disconnected and instead connecting with your new surroundings. Note that there is no cell service once you’re in Glacier National Park.
Rural Living
A breathtaking backdrop often requires taking a few breaths to adjust to a rural living if you’re not accustomed to it. Be prepared for the unexpected, as surprises can arise at any moment living in a rural environment that requires a sense of humor and a flexible, patient and optimistic mindset. Something’s not working or need help? The GNPC team will be nearby to remedy any issues.
Driving
Many of our creatives come from urban areas and are surprised about the amount of driving required to visit nearby attractions. Glacier National Park is no exception—it’s a very large park and can take a couple hours on the Going-to-the-Sun Road to get from one side of the park to another. We try to organize activities as close to lodging as possible but on occasion offer programming that requires some drive time—we promise, it’s always worth it! Fortunately, the GNPC office is just 10-minutes from the house and a grocery store just a 1-minute walk.
Need special accommodations?
If you require special accommodations, do let us know! It’s our goal to make this program accessible to everybody. Our team will be happy to work with you on how we can accommodate your needs and do our best to meet them.
Workspace
Glacier National Park Conservancy Office
In addition to WIFI being available at the lodging, creatives will be able to work from the Glacier National Park Conservancy office and bookstore at the historic West Glacier Train Station, which sits just outside the park entrance and a short 10 minute drive from the house.
The office provides shared desk space, WIFI, printers, scanners and any office supplies you may need during your sabbatical.
what past participants say
“I’m so glad I took the leap. Amble was exactly what I needed to help reignite my professional passion. The wide landscapes of Yosemite also helped me return to my everyday life with a better perspective. I’m very thankful for the experience.”
“I’ve described it as life changing. Taking the time to focus on some projects, explore new opportunities, shift my everyday, and work with new folks was outstanding. It was inspiring to watch the work others in Amble were creating - whether for themselves or for their community partners.””
“Amble was a great experience for me. I loved being able to have a dedicated amount of time to learn unexpected things, experience a new place, be present in nature, and to revitalize my creativity.”
Program Cost
Amble offers a one-of-a-kind experience by providing access to unique and exclusive private lodging and landscapes for your destination sabbatical that are otherwise unavailable to the public.
Our program offers opportunities to disconnect from your day-to-day, recharge, connect with likeminded creatives, reignite your creativity and passion, and get out and explore! We work with our community hosts to provide stellar lodging arrangements to keep your sabbatical affordable and provide opportunities to live like a local.
PROGRAM FEE
Our program fee covers the cost of lodging, project management, logistics and operations, program and project support, experiential programming, materials, and oversight of all projects for one month.
We offer a variety of lodging options to offer program fees commensurate with our creatives preferred room arrangements:
Shared Room: $1,600
Private Room: $2,000
Private Apartment: $2,800 (*family-friendly option!)
The program fee includes:
River-front lodging just outside of Glacier National Park for 1-month—stocked with bedding, cleaning, kitchen and pantry essentials
‘Welcome’ and ‘Farewell’ dinners for Amble creatives and community hosts
Programming for Amble creatives (i.e. naturalist and guided hikes, one-of-a-kind tours, activities, etc)
Coordination and management of program
Project direction (discovery, scoping, sourcing, etc)
Project management (coordinating, planning, operations, etc)
Project support (advising, guidance, assistance as needed)
Program coordination (activity sourcing, lodging and program logistics, etc)
America the Beautiful Pass (full year of unlimited access to all national parks in the US—including Glacier National Park)
Discounts to local businesses in the Glacier region and Hertz car rental
Our program fee totals to approximately $70/day for a full month in the Glacier National Park region. Curious to learn more? Read the FAQ.
Additional Information:
Cost does not include airfare, car rental or meals.
Transportation to/from Glacier Park International Airport can be arranged, though a car will be necessary to explore the region this time of year. A discount to Hertz car rental will be provided.
Payment will be collected from selected participants in August 2019.
If participant fails to deliver the agreed upon final project, participant will be charged a penalty fee of $2,000, which will be made as a donation to GNPC.
Still curious?
Check out the experience of our Spring 2019 cohort in the Sierra Foothills!
Ready? Let’s go!
Applications are now closed.
We are no longer accepting applications for our Fall 2019 program. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed about future sabbaticals.
Previous programs
Yosemite National Park
Fall 2018
We were joined by 6 creative professionals from across the country to kick off our pilot program in Yosemite National Park, where they worked with Yosemite Conservancy and Mariposa Arts Council on impactful visual design, UX, and content strategy projects.
Sierra Foothills
Spring 2019
We were joined by 4 creative professionals from the USA and Canada in the Sierra Foothills, just outside of Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. They worked with the Sierra Foothill Conservancy and developed strategic recommendations for their brand, communications, content strategy, and member engagement.
PRESENTING Sponsor
Parks Project creatively connects consumers to parks through quality products, volunteer events, and compelling digital content. A for-profit social enterprise, Parks Project works with over 40 non-profit organizations and serves as a supporting business partner to the National Park Foundation. Every purchase supports a high-priority project in a park, focusing on the areas of habitat restoration, youth education, wildlife conservation, and visitor services.
We’re pleased to announce that this program will be the first in partnership with with Parks Project. Through this partnership, we are able to provide additional opportunities for creatives to participate in and create artifacts of their experiences for their Meet the Makers series—see more details above in the Projects section.
Check out their collection and get involved at parksproject.us.
Additional PROGRAM Sponsors
Like what we’re doing?
Want to support the program in some way? We’d love to talk!