The North Face

Apr 29 | Explore Fund Grantee Profile :: Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake

By The North Face

To learn more about the Explore Fund visit www.ExploreFund.org, applications for 2013 grants are open until May 1st.

Through our 4 Club locations in Salt Lake and Tooele Counties in Utah, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake serves over 4,700 kids each year including 1,300 teens. We have nearly 500 members attending the Club daily. We provide low and no cost programs in neighborhoods where kids need us most to ensure we reach our intended population. The members of our Clubs represent some of the neediest and most underserved youth in our state: • 69% are from low-income families (with some Club sites as high as 97%) • 35% come from single-parent homes • 47% are ethnic minorities (with some Club sites as high as 85%) Our Clubs reside near some of the world’s best outdoor opportunities: hiking and rock climbing in the beautiful Wasatch Mountains, skiing and snowboarding in the “greatest snow on earth,” fishing and whitewater rafting in scenic lakes and rivers, and just exploring Utah nature and wildlife. Unfortunately, while some tourists from all over the world spend fortunes on Utah vacations, many low-income kids from Salt Lake City and the surrounding area are unable to access or afford the outdoor activities only miles from their homes. Also, due to urban lifestyles and sedentary habits so prevalent today many kids do not even know about the opportunities they are missing.

Club Adventure is an exciting and popular program designed to connect our Club kids with the outdoors and nature. Each year we collaborate with multiple community partners to provide snowboarding trips, canoeing and river trips, and outdoor climbing events. Our Club members have also gone ice skating, indoor rock climbing, fishing, mountain biking, hiking, and even snorkeling at the Bonneville Seabase. Every month more and more Club kids are experiencing outdoor programs and staying fit through Club Adventure.

One of the major goals of Club Adventure is to overcome barriers to getting our Club members outdoors. Unfortunately, cost is often one of the most significant hurdles preventing many of our kids from outdoor participation. Even relatively low cost activities like hiking are too far out of reach for kids who can't afford proper equipment or don't have the support and supervision of a responsible adult.

 

Club Adventure exists to fill these holes. Grant funds from The North Face Explore Fund will be used to cover the rental costs of mountain bikes, canoes, and climbing equipment. Funds will also be utilized to transport our kids to and from outdoor activities, and to cover the fees associated with guides and instructors to keep them safe.

Apr 15 | Explore Fund Grantee Profile :: Urban Peaks

By The North Face

To learn more about the Explore Fund visit www.ExploreFund.org, applications for 2013 grants are open until May 1st.

Urban Peaks supplements funding for underprivileged, urban youth to participate in rock climbing and challenge course activities. In just under two years, Urban Peaks has been able to fund climbing programs for over 400 students, introducing youth from low income, often single parent homes, and/or students with behavioral or social disabilities to the world of climbing, offering these youth an opportunity they might otherwise not have. Thanks to the North Face Explore Fund Grant, Urban Peaks was able to enrich these youth’s lives by providing funding for them to be able to participate in rock climbing activities

An 80 person Big Brother Big Sister group participated in a rock climbing program at a local climbing gym; upon entering the gym, the youth looked up at the 50 foot walls with a mixed bag of emotions. Some looked at the walls with sheer excitement saying, “I’m going to conquer that wall and climb all the way up!” While others felt a little trepidation, “oh, that’s so high, I’m scared of heights!” Upon completion of the three hours of climbing, all the students were proud of their own, personal, achievements. Whether it was getting to the top of the wall, or getting two moves higher than they expected. All the youth left proud of reaching their personal goals.

At the end of a rock climbing and challenge course program for a Boys and Girls Club group, an instructor commented, “It’s over already? I have never seen these kids so engaged!” When asked what the students are usually like, the instructor responded “apathetic teenagers”. It was great to see some natural talent in these kids who have never climbed before. When the students went through the Challenge Course, it was inspirational to see how, when some of the elements really challenged the students, they endured and found their strength to get through that element and onto the next.

Urban Peaks strives to raise funds to continue to introduce these youth to climbing, to build self-confidence, learn new things and learn ways to challenge themselves and overcome fears. Urban Peaks continues to work with Big Brothers Big Sister groups, Boys and Girls Clubs, as well as various non-profits and public schools in the Boston area, and hoping to reach northern New England.

Apr 08 | Explore Fund Grantee Profile :: Montana Wilderness Association's Outdoor Explorers

By The North Face

To learn more about the Explore Fund visit www.ExploreFund.org, applications for 2013 grants are open until May 1st.

Mentoring the next generation of America’s public lands stewards

The Montana Wilderness Association, in partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters and the U.S. Forest Service, and with support from the North Face Explore Fund, leads monthly outdoor adventures for Montana’s underserved youth. 

 

A dozen "Bigs" and "Littles" gathered at Pattee Canyon Recreation Area to try out cross country skiing, most of them for the first time. Only a few miles from downtown Missoula, Montana, this popular locals spot on the Lolo National Forest was an entirely new destination for these Explorers. 

It was a warm Saturday in mid-January, and the experts in the crowd -- college student volunteers -- tried to explain the techniques of the sport: Push, pole, kick, glide, herring bone, and so on. The kids patiently fidgeted with bindings and jacket zippers, and focused on trying to stay upright on skis.

 

As soon as talking and introductions were finished, in a burst of energy, the crowd headed off down the trail. Gliding fearlessly, many little skiers stopped at least a few times mid-hill to topple into a pile of skis, mittens, puffy coats, and hats, but always with a smile. Quickly scrapping well-made plans to cruise the trails, the skiers left poles aside and made use of a meadow, where familiar games of tag, red-light-green-light, and red rover helped newbie skiers become accustomed to the long boards on their feet.

When it came time to stop for a lunch of chili and hot chocolate, one stand-out 5th grader was reluctant to take a break from his new found passion - cross country skiing. After scarfing down a bowl of chili, he was off on the trails again, tumbling down every downhill, slipping up every uphill, and sliding to and fro across the path, all with a special gusto to keep at it. Where adults might have shed a tear or two after the first couple of falls, he kept pushing ahead with a big smile, eager eyes, and a tenacity unique to 5th grade boys.

 

Towards the end of the day, again tumbling into a pile of skis, he stood up, raised his arms high above his head, and exclaimed with a grin, "I love skiing!  What's better than the great outdoors?!"

This exclamation of joy is exactly why the Montana Wilderness Association partners with Big Brothers Big Sisters in three Montana communities. The Montana Wilderness Association's college student volunteers help provide Montana's underserved youth - kids whose families are struggling to overcome the challenges of poverty, single parent homes, incarceration, and other social and economic obstacles - with the chance to explore the great outdoors. Monthly trips in Helena, Missoula, and Bozeman, give "Bigs" and "Littles" the chance to experience skiing, tracking, rafting, hiking, birding, and more.

 

Hopefully - like this 5th grade boy - the pairs return home with experiences they will carry with them, sharing their new-found love of outdoor adventure with their friends and families. Perhaps they'll encourage their families to hike together, or maybe they'll even start a career in conservation a decade from now. There's no telling what the long-term effects of a day in the woods might be.

After all, isn't the sentiment of this 5th grader what drives all of us to dedicate our lives to the cause of conservation? As he exclaimed so perfectly, "What's better than the great outdoors?!"

Apr 01 | The North Face Issues a call for Explore Fund Applicants

By The North Face

The North Face today announced the opening of the 2013 Explore Fund grant-giving program, which will provide $250,000 in grants to support non-profit organizations that are connecting youth to the outdoors. In previous years, Explore Fund grants have been awarded of up to $2,500, but the 2013 grant cycle is upping the ante by offering grants of up to $25,000.

This year, The North Face will introduce Facebook crowdsourcing later this summer to the grantee selection process, which will give the top 10 grant applicants the opportunity to vie for $10,000 - $25,000, and The North Face fans a chance to be directly involved in supporting a great cause. Organizations are encouraged to tap into their creativity, their non-profit networks and the social media power of The North Face to reach more than 3 million fans and followers with their mission. With the help of its fans, The North Face will award:

• 30 grants of $2,500
• 5 grants of $10,000
• 5 grants of $25,000

Since the Explore Fund launched in 2010, The North Face has donated more than $1 Million worldwide to organizations helping to get more kids outdoors, impacting the lives of more than 80,000 kids in the U.S. alone as part of The North Face mission to inspire a global movement of Outdoor Exploration.

“We have seen how much of an impact a $2,500 grant can have on-the-ground for a small organization, and on kids they work with,” said Ann Krcik, director of Outdoor Exploration at The North Face. “With this new grant approach we hope we are able to empower organizations that are inspiring the next generation of outdoor explorers and conservationists to think even bigger with their programs and outreach efforts. 

During the 2013 Explore Fund cycle, grants will be awarded to organizations with activities on three different focus areas: access to front and back country recreation, education for personal and environmental health, and creating a connection to nature that will empower the future leaders of tomorrow. The North Face will select the $2,500 grantees and the top 10 organizations for crowdsourcing funding. 

Applications for 2013 Explore Fund grants are now being accepted online through May 1, 2013. The top projects receiving funding will be announced on June 18, and the top 10 will move on to the Crowdsourcing stage for a chance to earn $25,000 in funding. For more details, grantee highlights and ongoing updates, please visit www.explorefund.org.

Mar 18 | Gear Up + Get Out

By The North Face

Matt Segal in Crimea wearing the Verto Climb Collection, which you could win by entering the Gear Up + Get Out Sweepstakes

The North Face wants people to get outside and they are giving away the gear to help make it happen. The “Gear Up + Get Out” Sweepstakes launches today, and to celebrate, The North Face is giving people across the country a chance to win great gear packages up to a $1,000 value. 

Beginning today through October 31, sign up by visiting thenorthface.com/getout and be entered for a chance to win and Winners will be announced on the first of each month and a new gear package will be up for grabs full. Each month, gear packages will be focused on specific activities, including camping, climbing, running, mountaineering and yoga. 

The “Gear Up + Get Out” Sweepstakes is made possible through PlanetExplore, the online community and resource for outdoor recreational activities designed to help individuals and families learn about and participate in outdoor activities in their area. PlanetExplore provides valuable resources and continues to grow its non-profit partner base and event calendar, which no features more than 300,000 events annually.

The North Face is partnering with with top outdoor gear review blog and news source, Gear Junkie, to offer a second chance to win. Check out the latest gear and gadgets for getting outdoors, and enter for another chance to win a great gear package from The North Face.

For more information or to sign up for a chance to win, visit www.thenorthface.com/getout and www.gearjunkie.com/gear-up. Follow the conversation online with the hashtag #GearUpGetOut

Mar 07 | AMBASSADOR PROFILE: RYAN HUDSON

By The North Face

I’m Ryan Hudson, born and raised in sunny San Diego, CA. My story is far from fairytale. Since childhood, memories as far back as 4 years old serve as nothing more than nightmares. A victim of severe poverty since birth, I grew up living in and out of homeless shelters, sleeping in cars, the streets, at the park, or anywhere my family and I could lay our heads. When my family would find a home it would be in neighborhoods riddled with gang and drug activity. Such was my life until the age of 14 when I found the Toussaint Academy, a shelter for homeless and runaway teenagers. It was here I was introduced to a new world of opportunity. I got into many creative things; music, graphic design, writing, capoeira and more. None of these ever really satisfied my hunger for a positive outlet. Then I met Chris Rutgers. Chris invited a group of us to Big Bear, CA to check out this “sport” snowboarding-what that was I couldn’t have told you at the time. Turns out, that weekend would define my future. Through Chris and his non-profit organization known as Outdoor Outreach, I was able to escape the big city and learn to snowboard. This was my first time seeing mountains and definitely the first time I had seen and touched snow. Shortly after, I was hooked. Hooked on snowboarding and hooked on the idea that I could help the other 14 year old “Ryan’s”.  With this new direction, I began working with Outdoor Outreach. I now had the opportunity to show kids with similar backgrounds that there is opportunity to use the outdoors as a way to overcome adversity and move life in a positive direction.  Through comprehensive outdoor programming and participation Outdoor Outreach trained me to become a Leadership Instructor, teaching at-risk youth to surf, rock climb, mountain bike, and guiding them on snorkeling trips, hiking adventures, and overnight surf camps. This is where my connection with the outdoors began.

Although Outdoor Outreach has helped me discover so many things- beyond all else I’m thankful to Outdoor Outreach for introducing me to snowboarding. Snowboarding has given me something that I do not believe I could have found anywhere else. It’s my number one. Through snowboarding I find myself learning a new life lesson daily. What I’ve learned is my relationship with the outdoors is constantly evolving. As life happens we tend to forget what is right in our own back yard and I feel like it is my duty to make everyone aware of their opportunities and surroundings. The outdoors has given me happiness, peace, comfort, inspiration and support. Most importantly the outdoors has given me a life. Without it, I would most likely not be here today.

The North Face began their Outdoor Exploration program just a few years ago. As big supporters of Outdoor Outreach, TNF reached out to me and offered an opportunity of a lifetime. I was given the chance to become a Brand Ambassador. A milestone that brings me to tears every time I think of it. As an ambassador I work with the Outdoor Foundation and other organizations all working to answer one question: "How do we get more people outside?" What I’ve realized is that by sharing my passion for the outdoors with others I’m able to understand the purpose of my life. I then use this purpose to reinforce my passions, thus creating a self-sustained, well-oiled machine of positive lasting changes in all the lives of those that surround me. My life would not be the same without that someone who has asked that very question, sat down in a room, and tried to come up with solutions. This cannot be overlooked. The youth are our future. It is our responsibility to bring them up into a world worth loving, sharing and most importantly worth exploring. It is time we stand up and empower not only youth but also each other to ensure these are lasting changes for all. This is what I am fighting for.  

Jan 07 | Featured Philanthropy :: Protect Our Winters

By The North Face

Protect Our Winters was founded in 2007 by pro snowboarder Jeremy Jones to address the gap between the effects that climate change was already having in our mountains and the action being taken by the snow sports community to fight it. Winter sports is a $66 billion industry that supports over 211,000 jobs in our local mountain communities - so to us, climate change is serious business. Without a stable climate, our industry, our jobs, the economies of mountain communities everywhere and the valued lifestyle of winter will be gone.

As we start a new year, it's our goal to continue our work teaching high school students about the effects of climate change, how important it is for them to appreciate and protect the outdoors and to become the next generation of environmental leaders. In our community, professional athletes are the greatest influencers, and to have athletes such as Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, Ingrid Backstrom and Nick Martini meet and talk to students about climate change and the environment is once of the most powerful ways to inspire them to really get involved. Our young students are the ones who are going to find themselves directly feeling the effects of climate change, so it's our responsibility to provide them with the tools to get involved now.

To learn more about The North Face partnership with Protect Our Winters check out: http://protectourwinters.org/programs

To learn more about how The North Face is helping inspire the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts visit www.TheNorthFace.com/getoutdoors.

               Kit DesLauriers shares her stories of witnessing climate change first hand at a Bay Area elementary school.

               

                Nick Martini talks with a Denver Highschool student about starting an environmental club at his school.

                Sage Cattabrigga-Alosa pumps up the crowd in Salt Lake City

Dec 12 | The North Face awards $140,000 in Explore Fund grants

By The North Face

Explore Fund 2012 Cycle 1 grantee Voyageur Outward Bound

The North Face today has awarded the second round of Explore Fund grants for 2012, more than $140,000 in grants to 58 projects that will impact more than 80,000 youth across the nation. As part of its mission to start a global movement of Outdoor Exploration, The North Face introduced the Explore Fund (www.explorefund.org) in 2010 and the program has since provided more than $1 Million in grants globally to organizations committed to inspiring the next generation of outdoor explorers and conservationists. Since launching in 2010, The North Face has donated more than $765,000 to over 300 nonprofit organizations in the U.S.

Explore Fund grantee, Athletes for Cancer based in Colorado, is dedicated to enriching lives impacted by cancer through nature and the outdoors. The North Face Explore Fund grant will help support Camp Koru, a 6-day outdoor adventure camp that gives young survivors an opportunity to tackle outdoor challenges, build self-confidence and learn skills to thrive in life.

Voyaguer Outward Bound

We are very pleased and grateful to receive support from The North Face Explore Fund,” said Tonia Farman, executive director of Athletes 4 Cancer. “We truly believe in the physical, emotional and social benefits of connecting kids with the outdoors, and this funding will help us continue to provide that experience to young cancer survivors.”

The National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD) in Colorado is a therapeutic snowboard program designed to get youth outdoors during the winter season, regardless of any type of physical, cognitive, emotional or behavioral disability. Led by qualified instructors and local rehabilitation centers, NSCD is focused on using the outdoor experience to work on goal setting and build self-esteem. The Explore Fund grant will help provide for training, equipment and lift tickets throughout the season. 

Fall/Winter funds were granted to organizations across the country that break down barriers to getting outdoors, with a focus on:

 $ 61,000 - Access to front and back country recreation

$ 48,000 - Education for personal and environmental health

$ 31,000 - Creating a connection to nature 

With this second round of micro-grant, a total of $265,000 will be awarded to nonprofits in the U.S. through the 2012 Explore Fund by the end of the year. 

The Explore Fund spring grant cycle will be announced in early 2013. For more information on this cycle's grantees, please visit www.explorefund.org.

Voyaguer Outward Bound

Dec 11 | High School Student Embarks on Expedition to Support Outdoor Nation

By The North Face

Mike Foote (Left) and Adam Peterman (Right) training for their expedition by climbing Stuart Peak in Montana

Next week, high school senior Adam Peterman of Missoula, Mont. will attempt to bike, hike and scramble his way from the lowest point in the contigious US to the highest in an effort to inspire more youth to get outside. As part of his senior project, Adam will travel from Badwater in Death Valley, Calif., to the 14,505-foot summit of Mount Whitney beginning December 20 and attempt to reach California’s highest peak in less than 48 hours entirely under his own steam.

Our very own Mike Foote, who won The North Face Endurance Challenge Chile in October and came in third overall at the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc earlier this year, is Adam's cross-country coach and project mentor and will act as the support crew during the expedition.

The goal of the expedition is to raise money and awareness to benefit Outdoor Nation, which is dedicated to reconnecting millennials with the outdoors. Outdoor Nation host summits around the country, awards grants for outstanding project ideas, leads outdoor activities and works with youth in an effort to mobilize a movement to get the next generation of outdoor leaders. Peterman’s goal is to raise $5,000 through his Outdoor Nation Crowdrise page.

The inspiring and active Adam wanted this senior project to combine his passion for exploration, while also helping other kids his age connect with nature – particularly those who don’t have easy access to front-country recreation. 

Adam and Mike setting up the Mountain 25, which they'll use when camping at Whitney Portal

“Living in a city as accessible to the outdoors as Missoula, Montana makes it easy to forget how fortunate I am to live in a place as so connected to wilderness,” says Peterman, “this is a very rare opportunity to have, and above all other factors in my life, I feel like developing a passion for the outdoors has benefited me the most.  I would like other people my age to be able to experience the same, and the nonprofit Outdoor Nation does just that.” 

The attempt will be split into two days, the first day consisting of the 135-mile biking section, made famous by the Badwater Ultra Marathon, and the second spent hiking the 22-mile round trip to Mount Whitney’s summit. Peterman hopes to accomplish this 135-mile ride in 15 hours, where he will finish at the trailhead to Mount Whitney and make ascent to the mountain’s peak.

Donations to Peterman’s expedition to support the next generation of outdoor leaders can be made through Crowdrise for a chance to win gear from The North Face. Follow Peterman’s expedition on Facebook, the expedition official website and The North Face Never Stop Exploring Blog.

Oct 08 | Explore Fund Grantee Profile :: cityWILD

By The North Face

To learn more about the Explore Fund visit www.ExploreFund.org, applications for Fall and Winter grants CLOSE TODAY. 

cityWILD was established in 1997, and the organization’s first outdoor trip was piloted a year later.  Over the course of the next year, cityWILD founders volunteered their time to write curricula, develop community roots and partnerships, and secure resources for a more formal launching in September 1999.  Since its auspicious beginning, cityWILD has focused its efforts on strategic growth that meets the increasing demands of its community.  The organization’s approach promotes healthy life decision-making that encourages students to thrive as role models and leaders to their peers, as well as the greater community.  cityWILD helps build skills for students to resist the potentially negative influences of their family, school, and community environments. 

 

With the assistance of The North Face’s Explore Fund grant, cityWILD offered a multitude of outdoor adventure opportunities for its student to participate in and grow from those experiences as people.  New this year included a trip to Copper Mountain and a day of training with the Copper Mountain Ski Patrol as well as an ice climbing adventure with Outer Edge Guides for older cityWILD students experienced with rock climbing.  Both experiences testing student limits and brought them new lessons on life.  And no one wants to be put back in the neck brace ski patrol used in the training!