Youth Agency Partners: Creating Community Connections
One of Big City Mountaineers’ (BCM) most important jobs is tuning into the communities it serves. In an effort to ensure that it is providing outdoor experiences to youth who will benefit highly, BCM partners with local experts—youth agencies and schools across the country who know and support kids who might not otherwise get the opportunity to access the outdoors.
These BCM Youth Agency Partners (YAPs), approximately two dozen nationally, connect BCM to participants from their organizations and, in turn, BCM offers them what can be a pivotal lifetime experience. In addition to the programming – typically a day hike or canoe, an overnight camp, and a week-long expedition, BCM provides gear, expert leaders, training, and logistical support. The whole experience has a multitude of invaluable benefits, including the opportunity to build community; strengthen important life skills like problem solving, resilience, and self-advocacy; and tap into the deeper self-knowledge that often accompanies a temporary disconnect from technology.
Partnering with BCM in this way is a highly sought after opportunity, as there are limited trips offered in any given year. YAPs apply for participation each year and are selected based on core components in four areas: organizational characteristics, community served, organizational resources and capacities, and mission and vision alignment. From the beginning, BCM works to ensure a solid, mutually-committed relationship. YAPs work to ensure that their trips with BCM are full and that all administrative deadlines are met so that BCM can provide the most meaningful overall experience possible. “We are selective,” David says. “We have a set of criteria and want to ensure the right fit with our YAPs.”
Fit is important to the youth agencies, as well. YES Nature to Neighborhoods, based in Richmond, California, has been a BCM Youth Agency Partner since 2021. “Our partnership originated through a mutual volunteer who highlighted BCM’s exceptional work and the valuable trips they offer youth participants,” said Anna Kircher, YES’ Youth Leaders Coordinator. “YES decided that BCM would be a great fit due to our aligned values and mission.”
In Colorado, Boulder County I Have a Dream Foundation has been a YAP for nearly nine years. Many I Have a Dream Foundation youth have participated in the program and Program Specialist Matt Gleason will be going on his third expedition as a YAP staffer this summer. He finds it inspiring. “The kids say they can’t do the exact thing that they are doing. They may be miserable on a tough backcountry trail in the moment, but they are actually conquering all of their doubts.”
Adult YAP staffers like Matt are required on each BCM trip. “It’s important that the kids are out there with an adult they know and trust. It provides some continuity with home,” David said. He explained that the adults help ensure that the shared experience flows back to regular life. It helps with transference of learnings back to the students’ homes, schools, and communities.
Along the same lines, because the expedition is a completely new experience, the cohort of kids all coming from the same youth agency really matters. “The youth are nervous going into a BCM adventure, it helps if they know everyone, and they do. They’re coming from the same programs and clubs and have known each other for years,” David said.
BCM recruits Youth Agency Partners each year and Regional Program Directors help with the selection process. For more information on YAPs, including selection criteria and resources, visit the Youth Agencies page or reach out to info@bigcitymountaineers.org