Washington Trails Association: Opening doors in the PNW

Washington Trails Association, a member organization of the Outdoors Empowered Network, recently received a great write up in the Seattle Times that shares so much of what the Network represents. From chili recipes to gear, it's about sharing resources, knowledge, culture and creating outdoor experiences for kids.  Read the article to learn more about how Andrew Pringle and WTA are using their gear library and training programs to open doors for youth and their families to experience the Pacific Northwest in new ways.

           Youth workers during the pre-trip training with Washington Trails Association

Washington Trails Shines its Light in New Video

Check it out! 

3-Day Pilot Course with Idaho Youth Wilderness Initiative

Almost two years ago, High School Counselor and outdoor enthusiast, Meg Feeney, decided to make moves on her dream of getting more kids outdoors. She founded the Idaho Youth Wilderness Initiative, and started fundraising and growing community support for the project last Fall. Just a few short weeks ago, with support from Outdoors Empowered Network, Meg was able to hold her first training for local youth-serving organizations!

Outdoors Empowered Network staff and Meg co-designed and piloted a 3-day hiking and camping outdoor leadership training for four organizations in the Treasure Valley.  The training was inspired by one that Meg attended with another Network member, Washington Trails Association, and also borrowed from Bay Area Wilderness Training curriculum.  The training was a perfect example of the power in this incredible network of organizations with a both a shared model and over arching vision of connecting more youth to nature. 

As a young and growing program, Idaho Youth Wilderness Initiative is looking to connect with more youth-serving organizations interested in getting kids outdoors. As they grow their gear library over the next year, they will train these youth organizations and provide them with gear, building Boise's community capacity to connect kids to the outdoors around them. 

Huge thanks to National Recreation Foundation, Eureka!, KEEN, Columbia, GSI Outdoors, Camp Chef and Cascade Designs for the generous contributions that made this course possible!

Check out some photos from the training!

Thanks to Matthew Wordell for donating his time to capture moments with us.

Chicago Area Network Member Kicks off Programs with a Bang!

“This is my first time camping… (applause from her fellow course participants) but in the last couple of years I have developed an appreciation for nature and see the benefits for kids as it pertains to their health.  So I’m pretty excited to learn more and then get more youth outdoors.”  This is how Judy introduced herself and explained her level of experience in the outdoors.  

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Judy gets a hand at the right time to get us all through the mud.  This group was ready! 

In late June Judy and 12 other participants from six organizations in the Chicago metro area became “CLIC certified” youth workers, completing the first ever Forest Preserve District of Cook County’s weekend-long Camping Leadership Immersion Course training, with the support of two Outdoors Empowered Network staff instructors.  Participating organizations included Mujeres Latinas En Accion (a women and youth rights advocacy organization), Chicago Park District, The Field Museum, the Chicago Police Department and more.

The course was a whopping success highlighted by a thunderstorm that rolled in on Saturday night, giving us a show as Forest Preserve Program Specialist Brian Arnoldt taught about campfire building. 

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Notice the lightening strike in the upper right hand corner of the photo. 

These pictures are taken from a video shot during the storm.  As you can imagine, we were happy for the picnic pavilion!  We were also happy the storm passed and left a calm soft rain that lulled us to sleep in our new tents.  We all slept well! 

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Students learned by doing. Our hike through the mud puddles and out to the bike trail got everyone acquainted with the trails and forested lands around the campground.  After making it to a creek we stopped at a bridge and handed off bandanas, symbolically representing the leadership that one half of the group passed to the next.

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Guess who passed on the bandana! 

Brian Arnoldt from the Forest Preserve introduced the training by saying, “This is the first half where you learn how to camp with your groups. The second half is where you bring your groups back out here.” 

We at Outdoors Empowered Network are proud to set forth into action the process of training  these mentors, scout leaders and gang intervention specialists. These amazing and passionate adults who know their communities and youth best, are now ready take kids out and away from the concrete, the screens, the sirens, and into the fireflies and crickets of Camp Sullivan. 

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The rain didn't dampen Gerald's spirits! 

A huge thanks to our corporate sponsors, Eureka!, Columbia, GSI, Thermarest and Camp Chef, who gave gear that will be used this summer and for years to come in the Camp Sullivan gear library. 

For more pictures, check out our Facebook Page.

To learn more about the Forest Preserve District of Cook County's CLIC Program, check out their website, which includes information on the training and gear library program, and resources about all FIVE new campgrounds that are opening this summer!