Explore Fund Grantee Profile:: Trips for Kids Chicago Voyagers

Chicago Voyagers provides adventure learning services to at-risk youth. Out-of-doors adventures are the perfect means to work with youth.  Adventure learning provides many natural lessons while allowing the youth to have fun and improve their physical health. The outdoors exposes youth to the world around them. It gets kids off the couch and combats the national crises in obesity.  It gives kids an alternative to gangs and combats the national crises in youth violence. 

We teach the youth about:

Ø    Interpersonal relationships,

Ø    personal responsibility,

Ø    self-empowerment,

Ø    achievement,

Ø    positive values, and

Ø    service to the community.

Not only are we getting kids outdoors, but we are Guiding Youth on Their Journey. 84% of our youth are minorities and 92% are low income, which is our target population.

The Explore Fund has enabled us to greatly expand our rock climbing program. We have a two day program which teaches the youth about perseverance and trust. Climbing is the perfect activity to discuss perseverance. Perseverance gets them to the top of the cliff and also the top of life. Rappelling is a perfect lead in to teach youth about trust. We are very grateful to the Explore Fund for supporting our youth!