Give the gift of Adventure
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On the first day of our Outreach program at Fernando Rivera Intermediate school, a small middle school in Daly City, we were thrilled to see the bright faces of our new young campers who were hand selected by teachers and staff as students with untapped potential for leadership and a knack for problem solving in a way that spanned beyond the four walls of the classroom. Our campers then hustled into the van, devoured snacks, and reluctantly surrendered their phones as we embarked on our short 3 mile drive to the coast. This sounds like any other day at Venture free, yet one startling difference hit us to our core; many of these kids had never been to the beach.
Since that first day, our outreach campers have been provided with over 250 hours of outdoor exposure. We have introduced many of our campers to new locations as we explored over 40 outdoor spaces local to them. Building off of our outdoor survival skills curriculum, we have taken an interdisciplinary approach; incorporating math, science and history into our lessons. In our outdoor education program, students work comparatively and build a strong sense of community. One fernando teacher remarked; “I notice significant social-emotional development in many of the students I recommend for this program. VF campers come back to the classroom more confident in their abilities; more willing to participate in class, and collaborate with their peers. Social isolation is a huge detriment to academic success in grades 6-8. It is clear that community building is a major aspect of this program, and it is so heartwarming to know that these kids are not only being immersed in nature, but are surrounded by love from their counselors and their peers”. Fiammetta Dizon, 8th Grade Language Arts Teacher |
As the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic seep into all aspects of human life, Venture Free acknowledges that our outdoor adventure program is critical now more than ever. Parents are preoccupied with more stress, and with students stuck at home, teachers are remarking kids are losing motivation; becoming overall demoralized by the lack of social engagement. We hear the student’s struggle, and are compelled to expand our outreach so we can reach more kids struggling to cope with the social, emotional, financial, and academic challenges the pandemic presents. We understand many may not be in a position to give as we launch our fundraising for this year. Know that we are immensely grateful for any donation, big or small. No matter what, we will still be grinding away, finding ways to get kids connected with nature as we brave this uncertain time and patiently await the return of normalcy. Thank you for participating in this year’s fundraising and we hope that despite it all, you find joy in this holiday season. |
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Continuous Exposure Our programs are structured to not only give our campers a positive expereince in the outdoors, but most importantly, to give them continuous exposure to an environment that encourages problem solving, improvising, adventure, risk management, and a deeper understanding of our natural world. When children are regularly interacting with the environment for extended periods of time, campers develop a stonger connection to nature, and a "once in a lifetime" experience becomes a lifetime of experiences. It is clear that community building is a major aspect of this program, and it is so heartwarming to know that these kids are not only being immersed in nature, but are surrounded by love from their counselors and their peers”. Fiammetta Dizon, 8th Grade Language Arts Teacher |
"Venture Free has changed the way I want to do things cause at home I used to just play video games. Now, I always ask my mom to take me and my sister to the beach!" - Duvan; Outreach camper (FR) "I feel like Venture Free has helped me feel more confident about a lot of the things I do like in school, talking to teachers, and it made me feel good enough to try out for sports for the first time" - Patty; Outreach camper (FR) "I like Venture Free the best because it's not just something you get to do one time, but we get to go outside and play and explore different places every Wednesday for a whole year or even longer." - Ruben; Outreach camper (FR) |