WTA's Outdoor Leadership Training: 1,000 trips and counting!
WTA’s Outdoor Leadership Training program has supported 1,000 trips with gear and funding assistance.
At the end of August, WTA’s Outdoor Leadership Training (OLT) program supported our 1,000th trip with gear and funding assistance.
It’s an exciting milestone for the program, which, for the last 11 years, has gotten school-age youth outside by empowering teachers and youth groups with the skills and resources they need to lead safe and fun outdoor experiences.
Access to free gear from one of WTA's two libraries like boots, backpacks and trekking poles can help partners make trips possible. Victoria Obermeyer
This year marked a boom in trips as new partners serving more diverse communities tapped the funding assistance and free gear lending libraries in Seattle and Pierce County.
One community partner, Olympia Regional Learning Academy, utilized WTA’s Pierce County gear library for its first outing. The group went backpacking for two days at Rialto Beach in Olympic National Park in June.
“For all students, this was their first backpacking experience … Watching students' eyes light up as they looked at the tide pools, and hearing them talk about their accomplishments of going up and over the headland at Hole in the Wall, was amazing,” said Stacey Anderson, the school's assistant principal.
WTA knows that the Outdoor Leadership Training program is important for educators and community-based organizations, and we're incredibly grateful to the educators and leaders who are involved in the program.
“It takes a lot of effort to plan youth outdoor trips. Simply seeing the outing report number reach 1,000 this year is absolutely amazing,” said Maryjo "MJ" Sampang, WTA’s senior community partnerships and leadership development coordinator. “These leaders show the effort they make in securing funding, planning logistics, communicating with families, and keeping youth safe on trail.”
Hiking boots are one of the most frequently borrowed items. All the types of trips we support—hiking, camping, snowshoeing and backpacking—can utilize hiking boots to keep feet dry, supported and comfortable. Over our 1,000 trips, we have lent out 3,498 pairs of boots.
“Having the hiking boots was so important for our group,” said T. Tinsley, the youth outreach specialist at Braided Seeds, a community partner who led an August camping trip in Sequim State Park in August. They used the boots for tide-pooling, hiking and adventuring around the Olympic Peninsula.”There were some youth who have never camped or slept somewhere overnight, or been up into the mountains. Youth were able to have freedom in outdoor activities and exploration and connect to the land and rest before the start of their school year.”
We’re proud to have been a part of 1,000 trips. But they are far more than a number. They are a reflection of the inspiration and shared outdoor experiences that our incredible community partners make possible for youth across the state
We look forward to collaborating on the next 1,000 trips!
Teens backpacking with Wild Grief, one of the most frequent borrowers at Pierce County Gear Library. This summer, they facilitated two frontcounty camping trips and four backcountry trips, including a backpacking trip to the Goat Rocks and the Outdoor Leadership Training program's 999th trip. Photo by Natalie Fleischer.
Comments