Program Connects At-Risk Kids With Nature

A recent alumni of the City Kids program, Tyrhee Moore, did so well with the initiative that he was selected by the National Outdoor Leadership School to take part in the first African-American ascent of Denali — an experience that he never in his wildest dreams would have thought about before his involvement with City Kids. Before his first summer camp experience, Moore noted that the closest he’d ever come to a mountain was the pile of clothes that built up on his bedroom floor. Summiting Denali has given him a new perspective on life.

“I can compare everything I do in a normal day to the situations that I’ve been through, and they seem so small compared to what it took to climb Denali,” Moore said in an interview with WVU Today. Moore recently graduated from West Virginia University with a degree in sports management. In addition to traveling the country speaking to kids about getting connected with nature and looking for ways to get outside their comfort zones, Moore regularly returns to City Kids summer camp to act as a counselor and mentor for the next generation of participants.

When City Kids meet national parks, everybody wins. To find out more about the program, check out the City Kids website.

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