Training and implementing summer 2024 ARC courses. Our staff will stay at the field station to train and prepare for leading four courses which will provide access to wilderness spaces for 40 high school students who would not otherwise have the opportunity. Connecting youth to natural spaces has been proven to increase environmentally responsible behavior and future stewardship of the earth and its systems. Adventure Risk Challenge’s mission is to empower underserved youth through transformational literacy, leadership, and outdoor experiences. Our programming engages high school youth in the Tahoe-Truckee & Central Valley regions of California whose identities are typically underrepresented in the outdoors & higher education. Our vision is that all youth become stewards of their own future, their communities, and the environment. ARC recognizes that injustice exists in all aspects of society. Our programs aim to eliminate barriers & create pathways for youth to achieve academic success, to access outdoor spaces, and to exercise leadership in our communities & beyond. ARC is dedicated to actively implementing organizational practices & developing leadership opportunities that promote equity, diversity, and inclusion. Our curriculum integrates literacy, leadership development, outdoor experiences, and community building. Our environmental science curriculum is based on observation of the natural world and is designed to increase curiosity and encourage inquiry. Our students build their vocabulary to describe the world around them and use that language to articulate their place in that world. After our 2023 summer courses, 100% of our students agreed or strongly agreed with these two statements: As a result of participating in ARC, I want to spend more time outdoors. As a result of participating in ARC, I gained appreciation for the natural world.

Approved