Wilderness Leadership & Learning Inc

WILL'S MISSION IS TO PROVIDE DIVERSE GROWTH EXPERIENCES AND CHALLENGING LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES TO INSPIRE AND ASSIST YOUTH TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS, BECOME EFFECTIVE LEADERS, AND ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS.OUR GOAL IS TO LAUNCH WILL YOUTH INTO A FUTURE THAT THEY COULD NOT IMAGINE BEFORE THEY PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM, AND TO COMPLIMENT TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM EDUCATION WITH HIGH-QUALITY, DIVERSE EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP INHERENT STRENGTHS, DECISION-MAKING AND LEADERSHIP AND LIFE SKILLS FOR STUDENTS TO LEARN AND TO BE EFFECTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL AS THEY MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR LIVES.

LEADERSHIP AND 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 NORMAL WILL YEAR, YOUTH ARE ENGAGED IN MORE THAN 335 HOURS OF QUALITY EXPERIENTIAL ACTIVITIES THAT ARE DESIGNED TO DEVELOP THEIR INHERENT STRENGTHS AND DECISION-MAKING AND LEADERSHIP 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, DEI, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE, NUTRITION AND HOLISTIC WELLNESS AND LEARNING SKILLS TO MAKE HEALTHY EATING AND HYDRATION CHOICES, MUSIC/CULTURAL APPRECIATION FOCUSED ON LATIN AMERICAN AND UKRAINIAN 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 AND CANOEING EXPEDITION 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. EACH YEAR, AT LEAST ONE OF WILL'S SERVICE PROJECTS IS ENVIRONMENTAL.DURING THE PANDEMIC, FROM MARCH 20202 THROUGH JUNE 2021, TO CONTINUE TO ENGAGE AND CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT AND WILL PROGRAMMING FOR WILL YOUTH, WE PIVOTED OUR APPROACH. WE DID ZOOM MEETINGS WITH WILL YOUTH EVERY TWO TO THREE WEEKS ON SATURDAYS FOR 2 TO 3 HOURS THAT ALIGN WITH WILL'S PILLARS. THE TOPICS COVERED (SOME WITH MULTIPLE SESSIONS) WERE: SYSTEMIC RACISM, EQUITY V. EQUALITY, FINANCIAL LITERACY, SMART GOALS, RESUME WRITING, INTERVIEW SKILLS, 1ST AID, BIASES, DEI, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE, NUTRITION AND HOLISTIC WELLNESS, A COLLEGE ADMISSIONS FORUM, AND LEAVE NO TRACE ETHICS.WE RE-STARTED IN-PERSON WILL PROGRAMMING IN JULY 2021. WILL YOUTH HAD AMAZING DAYS AT MOUNT VERNON, DOING SERVICE AT THE CBF'S CLAGETT FARM (1/3 OF THE PRODUCE GROWN THERE IS PROVIDED TO THE CAPITAL AREA FOOD BANK), AND DOING SERVICE AT ANACOSTIA PARK AND CANOEING ON THE ANACOSTIA RIVER. AS THERE ARE SEVERAL COLLEGE FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS IN THE 2019-2021 WILL CLASS AND TO CELEBRATE THE GROUP'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS BEFORE THESE INDIVIDUALS WENT TO SCHOOL, IN AUGUST, WE GRADUATED WILL'S 16TH CLASS.WE REGULARLY COMMUNICATE WITH WILL GRADUATES AND GATHER WITH WILL ALUMNI TWICE EACH YEAR AT THE ALUMNI HOLIDAY LUNCH AND SUMMER ALUMNI PICNIC. A NUMBER OF WILL ALUMNI ALSO ASSIST WITH WILL PROGRAMS. WILL ALUMNI VOLUNTEER WITH PROGRAM ACTIVITIES, ATTEND FUNDRAISERS, PROVIDE PROGRAM FEEDBACK, AND MENTOR CURRENT WILL YOUTH.