Looking forward, looking back

Adventuring in nature, our eyes are often focused on what’s in front of us. Being new to an experience or anticipating the thrill just ahead keeps our sight trained on what’s next, leaving little time to look behind and soak in where we’ve just been.

It is now ten years since Adventure Crew (then Outdoor Adventure Clubs of Greater Cincinnati) founder Denny McFadden took his students on their first kayaking trip. This past decade of growing Denny’s inspiration into a thriving nonprofit often mirrors the challenges and victories, exhilaration and celebration our teens experience on adventures — persevering and finding a way forward, getting in as many high-fives along the way as possible. And pizza. Lots of pizza. 

This huge milestone is a critical time to both reflect and keep looking forward, and including the voices of those in our community is essential to this process. Our commitment to Outdoors for All means being clear-eyed in examining what we can do better, evolving what we do best, and being open to innovation in response to the needs, wants, hopes and vision for the future that our teens, families, schools and community partners share with us. 

As a member of our community, I invite you to share your voice with Adventure Crew. We would love for you to take part in a short online survey or be part of in-person focus group. If you’re interested in the latter, please email me at libby@adventurecrew.org and I’ll reply with details of how you can participate. This strategic direction-setting work will wrap up by early summer, and we will share with you and the general public what we’ve learned, including our new three-year strategic plan designed with your input. 

Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from you!