Foundation for Youth Investment Grants $20,000 to NOLS

LANDER, WYO – The Foundation for Youth Investment (FYI) today announced a grant award of $20,000 to theNational Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), a leading organization in wilderness education. The funding will support outreach programming for NOLS’ Expedition Denali: Inspiring Diversity in the Outdoors initiative and help connect underserved youth to the great outdoors.“Connecting underserved youth to the great outdoors is a transformational experience that leads to the development of lifelong skills like communication and teamwork,” said Steve Hagler, Executive Director of FYI. “Expedition Denali will be a life-changing and empowering experience for all involved, and we are proud to be working with the National Outdoor Leadership School to make this project a reality. We look forward to following the journey of these young people to Mount Denali and beyond.”

Expedition Denali will help African-American youth and adults embark on a wilderness adventure in which participants will attempt to summit Alaska’s iconic Mount Denali in the summer of 2013. Participants will gain valuable leadership skills as part of this effort, including communication, tolerance for adversity and teamwork.

“The goal of the expedition is to engage a broad constituency in a public dialogue about diversity in the outdoors, specifically in the field of outdoor recreation and education,” said Aparna Rajagopal, NOLS instructor and diversity and inclusion manager. “We are seeking to make a profound impact on the lives of today’s underrepresented youth, who are tomorrow’s adventurers. Our thanks to the Foundation for Youth Investment for this grant, which will help guide these adventurers on the first step of their journey.”

The Foundation for Youth Investment’s funding will support youth engagement efforts on Expedition Denali’s summit day, when participants will embark on a five-mile (approximately 10,000-step) trip up and back to High Camp. NOLS will commemorate this historic day by partnering with organizations nationwide to rally youth on the ground to hike their own “10,000 Steps to Denali” in wild places near their homes.

FYI’s grant will also fund Project Inspiration, a nationwide tour in which Expedition participants will visit schools, nonprofit institutions, outdoor outreach organizations, and community groups to share their experiences with the public and inspire young people to connect with the outdoors.

About the Foundation for Youth Investment
The Foundation for Youth Investment (FYI) develops and transforms the lives of underserved kids by investing in effective programs and creating strategic initiatives that connect young people to the great outdoors. For more information on the Foundation, please visit www.fyifoundation.org or call (650) 344-9072. To get up to date information on the Foundation’s grantmaking efforts on behalf of youth, follow FYI on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FYIorg.

About the National Outdoor Leadership School
Founded in 1965 by legendary mountaineer Paul Petzoldt, NOLS is the leader in wilderness education, providing awe-inspiring, transformative experiences to more than 15,000 students each year. Graduates are active leaders with lifelong environmental ethics and outdoor skills. NOLS also offers customized courses through NOLS Professional Training, and the Wilderness Medicine Institute of NOLS is the leading teacher of wilderness medicine worldwide. For more information, call (800) 710-NOLS (6657) or visit www.nols.edu.