HOP Outdoors
Introducing under-served local youth to the great outdoors
IMPACT
PROJECT HISTORY
Our HOP Outdoors program, based right in our home state of Utah, allows us to give at-risk youth a chance to experience nature in a way they never have before. This program has grown exponentially over the years as we now take roughly 30 students into the Wasatch Mountains at a time for a day of exploration. We have worked hard to collaborate with our sponsoring partners and guides to ensure the seamless running of HOP Outdoors.
Together we work to collect students from school and provide a daypack, lunch, and water for hydration. We also provided t-shirts this year that offer an even greater sense of unity. These experiences help to teach our local youth the importance of preservation, healthy living, and more importantly experiencing new things!
The response to this program has been overwhelmingly positive, as many children return week after week when possible to return to nature and spend their afternoon hiking outside. We also have partnered with some incredible sponsors, Utah Food Services donates the food that we package for lunches, and Snowbird Ski Resort donates tram passes so the children can get to the top of the mountain and experience views of their hometown in a way they never have before, and The North Face donates backpacks that we loan out as daypacks to each participant.
These collaborations enhance the overall experience, and efficiency of the day trips, we are extremely thankful to have such committed collaborating partners.
How Can I Help?
All contributions, no matter the amount, support our efforts in sharing outdoor activities with youth in the Salt Lake Valley.
Future Goals
We are working to establish more local partnerships, such as with refugee communities, to expand positive impact to as many children as possible. We are also looking to incorporate winter outdoor activities, such as snowshoeing, into HOP Outdoors’ programming. We would like to have this be a program that runs year-round, supporting the children and enabling them to access the outdoors every day!
Sponsors
