Our mission & vision: share in the awe and richness of our natural world
Elevate Youth was founded in 2018 to increase diversity outdoors through access and to connect kids to nature. We serve underfunded communities with our high-impact outdoor programing and adult mentors to develop comfort and habits of being outside.
Elevate Youth is committed to this mission year-round: to empower youth to explore the outdoors alongside mentors, sharing awe and the richness of our natural world. In addition, our vision is to spark a lifelong love of the outdoors through equitable access and routine immersion in nature as a way to foster agency and lead holistic, healthy lifestyles. We work alongside our youth to elevate their voices as the next generation of diverse environmental stewards.
How do we go about achieving our mission and vision? We do this by centering three main objectives.
First, we provide recurrent outdoor experiences for a minimum of ten months. Rather than one-and-done trips, we believe continual exposure to a variety of outdoor activities is vital to making a real positive impact and ensuring a sense of comfort outdoors. We want the youth to feel comfortable and welcome in nature, so over time they begin to feel a sense of belonging in the outdoor community. You can learn more about the 535 trips Elevate Youth has launched here.
Our second objective is to provide positive and consistent adult mentors on trips. We use the outdoors as a stage and engagement mechanism to facilitate healthy relationships between youth and new role models. When connected with a stable mentor, youth feel welcomed, engaged, and supported in our programming. You can learn more about the 158 volunteers who support Elevate Youth and our mission here.
Finally, Elevate Youth seeks to provide a safe place to practice new skills. Our outdoor activities allow our youth, who can be socially or emotionally vulnerable, to develop self-esteem, self-efficacy, and confidence. We incorporate social-emotional learning into our outdoor experiences so kids feel more comfortable engaging in new activities with new people. You can learn about the 585 youth we’ve empowered here.
Overall, our priority at Elevate Youth is to increase access to outdoor spaces for youth of color and underserved youth by prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion in our programs. We do this through providing consistent programming and positive adult mentors, and integrating social-emotional learning into outdoor recreation. At Elevate Youth, we aim to create the next generation of environmental stewards and equip them with critical life skills so they can reach their full potential through fun, safe, and challenging outdoor experiences.
You can be the spark that helps us continue our mission and vision. Today, your year-end donation or monthly support can allow us to share the awe of the natural world with more youth in Boston. Your support will help us reach more kids; provide them with gear, trips, and mentors; and connect them to nature. As we near winter, more kids will be discouraged from going outside: your contribution today will allow us to empower youth, make them feel comfortable in nature, and help them develop life-long connections.
