Wilderness Leadership & Learning Inc

TO PROVIDE DIVERSE AND CHALLENGING GROWTH AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES TO INSPIRE YOUTH TO BECOME EFFECTIVE LEADERS.

YOUTH LEADERSHIP & LIFE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT - WILL IS A TRANSFORMATIVE, HOLISTIC 12-MONTH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING, YOUTH LEADERSHIP AND LIFE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA YOUTH FROM UNDERSERVED/UNDER-RESOURCED NEIGHBORHOODS.DURING THE WILL YEAR, WE PROVIDE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT FOR WILL YOUTH AND ENGAGE THEM IN MORE THAN 335 HOURS OF QUALITY EXPERIENTIAL ACTIVITIES THAT ARE DESIGNED TO DEVELOP THEIR INHERENT STRENGTHS AND DECISION-MAKING, LEADERSHIP, AND LIFE SKILLS. AMONG OTHERS, WILL PROGRAMS INCLUDE: A ROPES COURSE, ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY AND LEARNING ABOUT BIODIVERSITY ON THE ANACOSTIA AND POTOMAC RIVERS WITH THE CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION (CBF), LEARNING ABOUT BIASES, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION, NUTRITION AND HOLISTIC WELLNESS, AND LEARNING SKILLS TO MAKE HEALTHY EATING AND HYDRATION CHOICES, MUSIC/CULTURAL APPRECIATION FOCUSED ON UKRAINIAN AND SOUTH AMERICAN CULTURES AND MUSIC, A DAY AT MOUNT VERNON, 3-DAY TRIP DURING SPRING BREAK TO THE KAREN NOONAN CENTER, A CBF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION FACILITY ON THE BAY, A COLLEGE ADMISSIONS FORUM, SERVICE LEARNING PROJECTS GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, FINANCIAL LITERACY, CPR/1ST AID, RESUME WRITING AND INTERVIEW SKILLS, A SCAVENGER HUNT ON THE NATIONAL MALL (OVER HALF OF THE QUESTIONS ARE IN THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART), CANOEING ON THE ANACOSTIA RIVER, 7-DAY BACKPACKING, CANOEING, CAVING, AND ROCK CLIMBING EXPEDITION IN THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS IN SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA, AND WILL GRADUATION. INTEGRATED WITH THESE ACTIVITIES, WILL YOUTH LEARN TO SET PERSONAL SMART (SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ATTAINABLE, RELEVANT, AND TIME-BOUND) GOALS AND ACTION PLANS TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS, MONITOR PROGRESS TOWARDS ATTAINING THEIR GOALS, AND PARTICIPATE IN SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS TO PROVIDE CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK ON EACH OTHER'S GOALS AND ACTION PLANS.SERVICE LEARNING IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE WILL EXPERIENCE, SO THAT WILL YOUTH LEARN AND APPRECIATE THE IMPORTANCE OF GIVING BACK TO ONE'S COMMUNITY. WE DISCUSS WITH WILL YOUTH THAT LEADERS GIVE TO OTHERS AND TO THEIR COMMUNITIES. EACH YEAR, AT LEAST TWO WILL PROGRAMS ARE SERVICE LEARNING; ONE OF WHICH IS FOCUSED ON ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AND STEWARDSHIP. WE REGULARLY COMMUNICATE WITH WILL GRADUATES AND TYPICALLY GATHER WITH WILL ALUMNI TWICE EACH YEAR AT THE ALUMNI HOLIDAY LUNCH AND SUMMER ALUMNI PICNIC. A NUMBER OF WILL ALUMNI VOLUNTEER WITH PROGRAM ACTIVITIES, ATTEND FUNDRAISERS, PROVIDE PROGRAM FEEDBACK, AND MENTOR CURRENT WILL YOUTH.