Types of Programs
Big City Mountaineers’ core program is a weeklong wilderness mentoring expedition for under-resourced teens that instills critical life skills. While we share industry best practices with other wilderness-based youth development programs, BCM is unique in its one-to-one ratio of adults to teens; a format that helps to transform our program into a meaningful mentoring experience. Among the benefits of BCM program design is that adult volunteers come from diverse backgrounds representing a wide range of life experiences. Our adult role models help teens become better equipped to make critical career, educational and healthy lifestyle decisions. For more about mentoring opportunities, click here.
- Provide wilderness opportunities to under-resourced urban teens age 13 to 18
- Cultivate relationships between teens and caring adult mentors
- Offer a unique 1-to-1 ratio of adults to teens
- Improve teen self-awareness and personal responsibility
- Promote group development and effective communication
- Celebrate gender differences by offering only single-gender expeditions
- Partner with existing youth development agencies to better address the ongoing needs of under-resourced youth.
- Deliver safe wilderness expeditions led by professional field instructors
Read through a virtual expedition for more details about a weeklong expedition.
Single-day outings are outdoor activities in local parks, including hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, snowshoeing and climbing. Single-day outings are used both before and after weeklong expeditions to begin and continue relationships between youth and adult mentors.
Peer Leadership Program
The Peer Leadership program provides leadership opportunities and vocational training, and helps alumni to assume increasing responsibilities via permanent employment in organizational roles. The Peer Leadership program is designed to develop leadership skills by providing program alumni with meaningful staff roles in BCM’s organization.
BCM staff roles for alumni teens include the following opportunities:
- Peer Leaders who assist adult mentors in the field on our weeklong expeditions
- Program Coordinators who assist regional staff with youth agency orientations, parent and teen information sessions, adult team member training, and trip logistics
- Teen Interns who assist staff in BCM regional offices.
BCM values the continued development of our teen participants. We encourage our teens to stay involved with Big City Mountaineers. Click here for Teen Employment opportunities
Wow Programs (Colorado only)
Through 24-hour camping experiences WOW Colorado provides youth, ages 8-12, with a safe and supportive environment to develop increased sense of self, understanding of their place in the natural world, a passion for lifelong learning, a commitment to environmental stewardship, and awareness of healthy lifestyles. WOW Colorado’s programming seeks to educate, engage, and ensure that the natural world is accessible to all.
Activities emphasize team-building and outdoor education to instill a sense of ownership and responsibility for the outdoors in campers. Campers learn to value, understand, and respect urban and wildland ecosystems. In addition, campers develop:
- Enhanced community values
- Teamwork
- Respect for the outdoor world
- Outdoor skills
- Curiosity about nature
- Recognition that being in the outdoors is fun
For more information about Wow programs and how you can volunteer, contact Elizabeth Williams
