Our Youth Programs engage urban and rural youth in Alaska’s public lands.

Many of the urban youth we work with have little to no experience in the outdoors before participating in our programs. Through School Partnerships and Stewardship Expeditions, we introduce these youth to their first-time experiences in Alaska’s wild places.

Many of the rural youth we work with have valuable outdoor knowledge and ecological awareness gained from subsistence hunting, fishing, and an array of other experiences. Our programs enable these youth to direct these experiences and skills into potential leadership opportunities and career paths in public lands.

Our goal is to meet these youth at their level of experience, and connect them to follow-up opportunities in public lands that increase their commitment to stewardship and bring both their outdoor skills and leadership skills to the next level.

• Offering outdoor recreation and stewardship day trips through our Outdoor Club

• Hosting Leadership Development Expeditions for expedition alumni

• Running a “Leader-in-Training” program for expedition alumni particularly interested in trip leading and wilderness guiding

• Facilitating urban and rural youth to learn from each others’ experiences

• Mentoring youth towards “next-step opportunities” such as educational paths, internships, jobs, and careers related to the outdoors

• Empowering teens to share their stories and insights about youth engagement in public lands on a national scale at conferences and by meeting with influential leaders