Crew Pathways inspires future leaders

Last month, I shared our Portrait of a Graduate – the qualities and competencies we want to see in our graduates. It directs all our strategic planning so we can programmatically and intentionally take a Crew student as far as they want to go in their relationship with nature and in growth toward their future.

To put our “portrait” into action, we are taking our popular recreational program to the next level and providing even greater opportunities for our Crew members by implementing an exciting new Crew Pathways program.

Geared specifically toward bringing greater equity to the outdoor industry and changing the face of outdoor spaces, the Crew Pathway is designed to advance city teens through several levels of leadership training, intensive experiential outdoor learning and collaborative green-work opportunities with local and regional partners.

From their first introduction to nature through outdoor recreational adventures like hiking, kayaking, biking and skiing, city teens discover a whole new world through Adventure Crew.

Now, we have designed a formal program that also introduces them to a whole new world of opportunity for their futures in green careers.

The program kicks off this spring in collaboration with our first key partner, Little Miami Conservancy. Check out this great Fox 19 News coverage of Crew Pathways.

Our Crew will also be on a Pathway this spring in collaboration with Cincinnati Parks Foundation, working side-by-side the foundation’s Emerging Leaders to clear out honeysuckle and litter from a few of our city’s cherished parks.

Crew members will have the chance to be paid for their work as they learn about invasive species and park government careers while building valuable connections with community leaders.

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” – poet William Butler Yeats

Thank you for helping us fuel their inspiration!