Adventure Risk Challenge

TO EMPOWER UNDERSERVED YOUTH THROUGH TRANSFORMATIONAL LITERACY, LEADERSHIP, AND OUTDOOR EXPERIENCES

ARC'S MONTH-LONG SUMMER IMMERSION COURSES INTEGRATE WILDERNESS EXPEDITIONS AND ACADEMIC BASECAMPS. BASED IN YOSEMITE AND TAHOE, THESE COURSES FACILITATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF ESSENTIAL LEADERSHIP AND ACADEMIC SKILLS IN ALTERNATIVE CLASSROOM SETTINGS AND ON OUTDOOR ADVENTURES. RIGOROUS ACTIVITIES REQUIRE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL COMMITMENT AND INTERPERSONAL COLLABORATION, WHILE BUILDING AN ETHOS FOR HEALTHY LIFESTYLES, PERSONAL EMPOWERMENT, AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP. CHALLENGING LEADERSHIP AND LIFE-SKILLS TRAINING FOCUSES ON SELF-MANAGEMENT, GOAL SETTING, PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY, TEAMWORK, COMMUNICATION, AND RESILIENCE. LITERACY SESSIONS DEVELOP SKILLS IN CRITICAL THINKING, READING COMPREHENSION, WRITING, AND PUBLIC SPEAKING. AFTER PARTICIPATING, ARC YOUTH RESPOND MORE POSITIVELY TO STATEMENTS INCLUDING, "I AM DEVELOPING GOOD HEALTH HABITS", AND "I DEAL WITH FRUSTRATION IN POSITIVE WAYS." THEY ALSO SHOW A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN ALL FOUR OF THE INTERNAL ASSET CATEGORIES ON SEARCH INSTITUTE'S DEVELOPMENTAL ASSETS PROFILE (DAP), WITH THE LARGEST INCREASES IN POSITIVE SELF IDENTITY AND POSITIVE VALUES.

ARC WEEKEND RETREATS ARE AN INTEGRAL COMPONENT OF OUR COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP PROGRAM. THE COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP PROGRAM IS A TWO-YEAR PROGRESSION, OFFERING YOUTH IN-SCHOOL LEADERSHIP AND LITERACY WORKSHOPS AND WEEKEND EXCURSIONS TO SOME OF CALIFORNIA'S MOST BEAUTIFUL NATURAL AREAS. ON OVERNIGHT WEEKEND TRIPS, PARTICIPANTS ARE EXPOSED TO A UNIQUE GROUP CULTURE: TOLERANT, OPEN, AND YOUTH-DRIVEN, WITH A STRONG SENSE OF INCLUSION AND RESPECT. ARC WEEKEND RETREATS ARE HOSTED AT UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA NATURAL RESERVES IN BIG SUR, BODEGA BAY, MT. HAMILTON, TRUCKEE, YOSEMITE, AND ELSEWHERE. ACTIVITIES INCLUDE BACKPACKING, HIKING, KAYAKING, SKIING, ROCK CLIMBING, AND MORE. CURRENTLY, ARC'S COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP PROGRAM IS EMBEDDED AT NORTH TAHOE, DOS PALOS, AND FIREBAUGH HIGH SCHOOLS.

ARC COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP WORKSHOPS & ACTIVITIES ARE OFFERED WEEKLY FOR FIRST-YEAR PARTICIPANTS AND MONTHLY FOR SECOND-YEAR PARTICIPANTS. THESE WORKSHOPS AND ACTIVITIES ARE BASED AT DOS PALOS, FIREBAUGH, AND NORTH TAHOE HIGH SCHOOLS AS PART OF THE COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO: 1) DEVELOP HIGH SCHOOL READINESS; 2) PROVIDE EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS; 3) BUILD LEADERSHIP SKILLS; AND 4) EXPOSE STUDENTS TO OUTDOOR SPACES AND CALIFORNIA'S NATURAL BEAUTY. THE COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP PROGRAM OFFERS OVER 500 HOURS OF LEADERSHIP, LITERACY, AND ACADEMIC PROGRAMMING TO EACH STUDENT, PLUS A $1,000 SCHOLARSHIP UPON HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION. THE WORKSHOP CURRICULUM INCLUDES WILDERNESS FIRST AID TRAINING, MULTIPLE CREATIVE WRITING EXERCISES, YOUTH-LED COMMUNITY PROJECTS, A STUDENT-PLANNED TRIP TO THE OUTDOORS, AND MORE. THROUGH THESE WORKSHOPS AND ACTIVITIES, STUDENTS DEVELOP THE INTERPERSONAL SKILLS AND ACADEMIC TOOLS NEEDED FOR HIGH SCHOOL SUCCESS. IN ARC'S NON-TRADITIONAL CLASSROOMS, STUDENTS LACK THE DISTRACTIONS OF TECHNOLOGY AND HAVE THE SPACE TO THINK CRITICALLY ABOUT THEIR STORIES, THEIR ACADEMIC STRUGGLES, AND THEIR POST-SECONDARY ASPIRATIONS. ARC COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP PROGRAM IN-SCHOOL AND IN-COMMUNITY WORKSHOP EXPENSES ARE INCLUDED HERE.