I've been thinking about the mission of Big City Mountaineers a lot recently. At the surface it seems like all fun and games. Hey! Let's go outside and play in the woods or in the mountains! That may be accurate for the privileged, right? But for kids who not only don't get outside regularly but who don't even realize it's an option, it's not just about getting outside for fun. There are so many life lessons they can learn from their time outdoors and from the mentors who are their role models during that time and beyond. And though I do believe "where there's a will there's a way" one must be aware of what their options are in order to have "the will." Even coming from a privileged background and being raised about five hours from the Boundary Waters, I was not aware of its existence because no one around me was interested in the outdoors. So, though I may have been able to pursue experiences in the Boundary Waters or elsewhere when I was young, I just didn't know. For the youth participating in Big City Mountaineers, they often have neither the awareness nor the means to pursue such experiences.
So aside from the physical benefits of spending time outdoors, which I'll discuss another time, here are the objectives of Big City Mountaineering programs:
Working together with peers toward survival in wilderness settings is a prime environment for focusing on others, developing healthy relationships, and strengthening their own character.
When you sponsor my Summit for Someone Mount Shasta climb, you are helping give more youth around the nation this incredible opportunity to create a new path in their lives!
Please donate to give urban youth the option of the outdoors:
http://support.bigcitymountaineers.org/goto/summitjourney
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| Percentage of youth served by Big City Mountaineers who come from families that live below the poverty line. |
So aside from the physical benefits of spending time outdoors, which I'll discuss another time, here are the objectives of Big City Mountaineering programs:
- Build character and citizenship
- Improve individual self-esteem and self-efficacy
- Increase sense of responsibility
- Develop resiliency
- Foster a care for others
- Encourage group and individual goal setting
Working together with peers toward survival in wilderness settings is a prime environment for focusing on others, developing healthy relationships, and strengthening their own character.
When you sponsor my Summit for Someone Mount Shasta climb, you are helping give more youth around the nation this incredible opportunity to create a new path in their lives!
Please donate to give urban youth the option of the outdoors:
http://support.bigcitymountaineers.org/goto/summitjourney
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