It's the middle of our busy summer season and we're out with the kids just about every day now.  We can always use more volunteers on our outings so if you are interested in helping out this summer please don't hesitate!. You can sign up to volunteer online, or phone our office at 619-238-5790. We hope you enjoy reading about some of the exciting things going on here at Outdoor Outreach. Have a great summer!

 

Hoover High Adventure Club Shines

For the last three years, we have had an Adventure Club established at Hoover High School, located in the inner-city neighborhood of City Heights. Since we started the club three years ago, over 50 students have participated on over 25 trips. With the help of Outdoor Outreach staff and Hoover teachers, Denise Vizcarra and Rebecca Lesher, the students have met once a week to help plan and organize a monthly trip. Over the years the kids have been snowboarding, surfing, rock climbing, camping, mountain biking, snorkeling and kayaking numerous times. In addition, the kids have planned and carried out several fundraising events to help pay for the costs of their trips. They have raised over $3,000 to date!

 

The many challenges of growing up in City Heights are reflected by the high drop out rate at Hoover High where the graduation rate at the school is 40%-50%. We are very proud to report that 100% of the 13 seniors in the club graduated this June. In fact, 11 of the 13 will be moving on to 4 year colleges and universities, and one of the most dedicated members was named Valedictorian of the class of 2006.

 

We have been running the club the last few years out of our general operating budget. We are currently looking for sponsors to keep the club going. If you know of an individual, business, or foundation that might be interested in sponsoring the club please let us know. If you'd like to make a personal contribution to help support the club, please click here.  

 

New Adventure Club started in Barrio Logan

With the generous support of the Coronado Rotary Club we have started a new adventure club at the Barrio Logan College Institute. BLCI is an amazing program focused on preparing the youth of Barrio Logan for college. They serve more than 120 youth from a neighborhood where 40% of residents live below the poverty line.

 

The club has gone on two outings so far, a surf camp on Coronado Island and a Marine Science Education/Snorkeling trip. We are especially excited about the partnership between BLCI and the Coronado Rotary. Besides lending their financial support, the Rotary Club members have taken an active interest in participating with the Adventure Club on the outings. Several Rotary members have brought their own kids out to participate as well. It is our hope that in addition to all of the positive impacts of the club that we usually see, we'll also foster a social and cultural exchange between the two communities of Barrio Logan and Coronado. Special thanks to Brad Willis from the Coronado Rotary for spearheading the project and making this all possible. 

 

Snowboarding in July?

With one of the biggest snowfall totals in years, Mammoth Mountain stayed open through the 4th of July weekend. With the mountain still open from top to bottom, our hard charging crew from the Leadership program rode non-stop for two days. The guys especially enjoyed their time in the half pipe. The trip was a well deserved treat for the guys who've been working hard and doing a great job all year. 

 

 Leadership Program

 crew on the top of

Mammoth Mountain

Marine Science Education Program

One of our core programs all summer long is our Marine Science Education/Snorkeling Program. The program is a special collaboration between Outdoor Outreach, The San Diego Ocean´s Foundation and Sea Camp. Many of the youth we serve have never been to the ocean, and this program gives us the opportunity to educate and inspire the kids to become passionate stewards of the local ocean eco-system.

 

Qualified staff from the SDOF and Sea Camp will often go directly into the classrooms of the schools and agencies we work with and deliver educational presentations that include lectures, slide shows and even hands on dissections and labs. The cornerstone of the program is day-long field trips that start at the Sea Camp facility and culminate with snorkeling at Mission Point. It's a great opportunity for the kids to see animals in their natural environment after learning about their habitats and biology. On an average trip the kids will see octopus, lobster, sea urchins, sea hares, sea cucumbers, brittle stars and a variety of local fish.

 

Special thanks to everyone at Sea Camp and the SDOF for making the program so special.

 

We need your help!

All of our programming is dependent upon your support. You can make a financial contribution easily online by clicking here. Even the smallest donation is a huge help and, of course, fully tax-deductible. As a community organization, we rely on the support from community members to help with every aspect of the organization. We welcome your energy and ideas to help make Outdoor Outreach an even greater success. We´d love to make use of your talents and passions to help us serve the kids even better. 

 

Thanks so much to everyone who dedicates their personal time, energy and money that make our programs possible. Special thanks to recent sponsors: REI, Toby Wells Foundation, Cush Automotive Charitable Foundation, Union Bank of California, The Legler Benbough Foundation, Coronado Rotary Club, San Diego County Board of Supervisors, The Jacobs Family Foundation, Rip Curl, Hurley, Annie's Homegrown, Islands Restaurants, Global Surf  Industries, Clive, Gramicci, Westlife Distirbutions Inc., Adventure 16, Vans and Gregory.