Short Summary
On October 25th, Respect Academy students completed a community service project in Jamestown, CO to help the town recover from the September floods. After we noticed the awestruck look on our students faces, we discovered that this was the first time many of our students have been to the mountains that are just 40 minutes from their front door.
Our school serves students who are 17-20 years old and not on track to graduate. Over 90% of our students live in poverty and have no idea the adventure that lies just to the west of them. Our goal is to get them on the snow this winter and then continue to experience the great wilderness areas, open space and mountain parks that they have access to in the spring. We strive to help the kids not only earn their high school diploma but to prepare them for real life outside their isolated neighborhood and school. Exposure to the great outdoors will help our students gain mental and emotional health and learn new ways of entertaining themselves (besides Reality TV and Xbox).
What We Need & What You Get
What your money will get us:
- A season pass and lessons at Loveland Ski Area. - Loveland is close and affordable compared to many other resorts. They offer a season pass plus 3 lessons for first timers at a deeply discounted rate. This would allow our kids to learn and have free access for the rest of the 13-14 season.
- For your donation we will send you pictures or videos (depending on your donation) to keep you updated on our students progress and experiences.
- $4,340 of your donations will go toward the season passes and lessons. We are bringing in donations for used gear but will most likely have to purchase some used gear so the kids don't have to rent and can continue to afford to ski or snowboard the rest of the season. All remaining funding will go toward sending the kids to a ropes course in Genesee, CO next spring.
- If we surpass our target it will help fund future adventures like camping, fishing, climbing, biking and future community service projects. Our goal is to get our kids into the outdoors as much as possible and to make it a real option for them after high school.
Please don't let us head to the slopes unprepared!
The Impact
Your contributions will help our students get out into the great outdoors, many for the first time! Experiencing the outdoors helps build character and is a key component in building environmental awareness. How can they appreciate what they know nothing about? There have been several similar successful programs like Hoods to Woods and SOS Outreach that have helped at-risk youth but they are not available to our students.
Other Ways You Can Help
Donate Gear! We need:
- Men's and women's ski and snowboard gear including skis, snowboards, bindings, boots, goggles, etc. Our kids also need many of the necessities like coats, gloves and pants.
- Share our campaign with your friends, family and coworkers!