G i r l s T r i p
  On the first annual girls backpacking trip, youth experienced fascinating landscapes and challenged themselves, building strength and community. After the trip, the youth were excited to share their stories, and displayed expert knowledge of backpacking skills.
The backpacking participants described the many differences between the outdoors and their homes, sharing the perks of being immersed in nature, and the survival skills learnt in the wilderness. The dazzling beauty of the night sky in unpolluted air was a highlight, as the youth observed the moon and individual stars. Lillian Lake impressed the youth with clear and sparkling blue waters, showing the natural landscape’s reflection, “like in movies”, as described by one of the trip participants. The hikers also ran across a number of different animals, including marmots, chipmunks, and an impressive young buck. In addition, they showed great resourcefulness in dealing with pests like flies, and adapting to weather conditions. Read More B o y s T r i p
 The boys backpacking trip in collaboration with Big City Mountaineers concluded on August 22nd, and youth returned with inspiring stories of wilderness adventures to share. The youth trekked across the Sierra Mountains, visiting beautiful national parks like the National Sierra Forest and Ansel Adams wilderness. The intensive trip helped the youth achieve personal goals and immersed them in a new, exciting and challenging experience.
The youth learned a wide range of useful tricks and survival skills for the outdoors, including essentials like making a campfire, and pitching a tent. The trip also fostered teamwork and appreciation for the environment, as the youth learned to honor the backpacker's code and left no trace of their presence. Tips and tricks for surviving in the wilderness were shared, including a special way of cleaning plates to minimize the impact on the environment. Read More B a c k t o S c h o o l E v e n t
Our Back to School event is one of many annual events that we host; it's a full-day event where we bring together the community in order to set the mood as the young ones in the community start going back to school. During the event, we have a number of activities going on. The Fire Department is always nice enough to show up in their fire engine for a fire prevention lesson. We have dentist volunteers who attend the event with dental supplies to give hygiene lessons. Other local organizations offer resources such as healthy eating and so on. Last year, more than 200 community members attended our first annual Back to School event. We passed out 80+ backpacks and more than one thousand other school supplies (pens, pencils, notebooks, rulers, etc.). This year, we are expecting a larger number of participants as our advertisement efforts have grown. More info |
