Join Soul Trak for a Youth Adventure Week in Shenandoah National Park. Over the duration of one week, the group will set up camp at Big Meadows Campground, complete service projects for the park, attend educational ranger talks to learn about the history and natural environment of the park, and spend time exploring the park through hiking and visiting points of interest in the park. The goal is to connect DMV youth with a local national park, in order to foster stewardship for public lands and diverse representation in the outdoors.
Who: Youth aged 11-15 are invited to register and apply. If you have participated in Soul Trak’s Youth Adventure Cohort, Soul Trak/KIPP Program, or other Soul Trak programs, come join us for an adventurous week!
Key Programs:
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Camping 101: Learn the basics of tent camping and setting up a comfortable outdoor camping setup. We will be cooking all of our meals on camp stoves, and making sure we keep a clean and tidy campsite.
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Learn Leave No Trace principles and general best practices for camping.
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Complete service projects for the park and learn about park stewardship. Projects could include trail maintenance or campsite beautification.
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Attend engaging ranger talks about the natural and human history of the national park.
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Learn about Black History in Shenandoah NP: Lewis Mountain Resort
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Naturalist talks: Learn about the native flora and fauna, geology, and waterways.
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Astrology: See the stars at night!
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Explore the park through hiking excursions and visiting Shenandoah’s famous waterfalls.
Schedule:
Monday 7/22: Transportation provided from DC, leave Monday morning from Anacostia Park. Drive to Shenandoah National Park and arrive at the campsite, where we will have lunch and set up camp. Meet Park Rangers and Shenandoah staff to receive an orientation on the park.
Tuesday 7/23: Spend the day around Big Meadows Campground. We will participate in a morning educational program, afternoon service project, and attend an evening ranger talk.
Wednesday 7/24: All day hike to a waterfall!
Thursday 7/25: Morning Service Day, Afternoon Educational Program, evening hike.
Friday 7/26: We will close out the week by presenting youth participants with recognition of their service to the park and status of Junior Park Ranger. We will depart the park in the early afternoon to return to DC.
Costs:
Soul Trak will cover the cost of all transportation and meals, and provide camping gear such as tents, sleeping bags, and sleeping pads. The $25 registration fee will ensure your registration and go towards providing group supplies.
Participants only need to provide their own personal gear for the week, including appropriate clothing and layers, hiking shoes/boots, day pack, and toiletries. A more detailed list will be provided during Orientation.
Orientation:
Youth Adventure Week Orientation will be a mandatory in-person meeting in early June (Tentative date: Sunday June 2, 2-4pm). We will go over the week’s programs, provide information on what you will need to bring, and answer any questions.
How to Register and Apply:
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Register here on the Soul Trak page - Parents please register your youth participant under their name. You can put your contact information in for them.
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Fill out the SurveyMonkey application here. This will provide us important preliminary information on our youth participants.
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We will confirm your registration and application.
Questions? Reach out to junko@soultrak.com