Wilderness Youth Project Celebrates 25 Years of Youth Feeling Free + Alive!

Wilderness Youth Project (WYP) is thrilled to celebrate its 25th Anniversary in the Santa Barbara community. To give back to all the families, donors, partners, volunteers, staff, and friends who have given so much, WYP is offering a free celebration on Saturday, October 5, 2024. This milestone marks a quarter-century of empowering local youth through nature-based education and experiential outdoor learning. The celebration will be held at Santa Barbara City College’s Great Meadow, from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Free tickets are available at wyp.org.

Why Wilderness Youth Project?

Dan Fontaine, WYP’s Executive Director, has worked in every capacity at Wilderness Youth Project: helping in the camp kitchen, leading programs, and taking on the role of Program Director before he became the Executive Director in 2008. “If you ask us why the world needs WYP, we’ll probably tell you a story. Nine out of ten times, if you listen closely, that story will be about a child who has an experience that makes them feel alive.”

Here is one of those stories from Elaine Gibson, a local hero of connecting children with nature:

“One of the kids in the WYP group made their way down the creek faster than anybody else. Nobody called out ‘stop, be careful, don’t get wet!’

While rock hopping in the creek, the child raised both hands over their head, arms outstretched like the letter V, and shouted, ‘I feel free and alive!’

In the circle at the end of the day, I asked ‘Which one of you said ‘I feel free and alive?’’ Every single kid raised their hand.”

Join WYP and feel free & alive at the 25th Anniversary Community Celebration

The festival is a free, all-ages event filled with food, crafts, activities, music, art, cultural sharing and opportunities to support WYP’s mission. Highlights include:

• Cultural Sharing & Live Entertainment: We are excited to welcome the Chumash Kiyniwiš Singers and Resistencia Mexicayotl Chalchiutlicue who will both be sharing their culture with guests. Rock out with the Wilderness Youth Project Staff’s band, Huevx, featuring Mario Mendez, Mariangelica Duque, and Alex Campos.
• Food & Drink: Food trucks will be on-site for guests to purchase goodies from Considered Coffee, El Pastorcito Tacos, Nimita’s Cuisine, and Juice Ranch. Free tastings by Culligan Water, Farm To Bar Mocktails, Figure Ate, and The Grazing Place. Or bring your own food and beverages!
• Activities & Crafts: Participate in outdoor crafts, games, and storytelling led by WYP staff and local partners such as Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, Los Padres ForestWatch, NatureTrack, Quail Springs, Santa Barbara Audubon Society, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Santa Barbara Maritime Museum with Whale Heritage Area, Santa Barbara Public Library, Santa Barbara Zoo, Sierra Club, SB Bubble Guy, Talk-o-Truck, Wildlife Care Network, Yes Yes Nursery, and Yoga Soup.
• Silent Auction & Raffle: Bid on unique items and experiences in our online silent auction, open now through October 5 (https://paybee.io/@wyp@9). Raffle tickets will be sold exclusively at the October 5 event for a variety of gift baskets and a refurbished Xtracycle.

Get Involved

We invite the community to join us by becoming a 25th Anniversary Sponsor. Sponsorship forms are available online, and your support will directly benefit WYP’s nature-based programs for local youth and accessible community events. Volunteers are also needed to help make this event happen. Please sign up online.

For more information, to reserve tickets, or to get involved, visit wyp.org/anniversary-year or email development@wyp.org.

Acknowledgments

We extend our deepest gratitude to our WYP families, community partners, donors, and volunteers. You make this work happen.

Special thanks to our 25th anniversary sponsors, the anniversary committee, and the 2024 board of directors for their dedication and support:

25th Anniversary Oak, Sycamore, and Cottonwood Sponsors: Walter J. and Holly O. Thomson Foundation, Colleen and Ted Friedel, Yardi Systems, Natalie Orfalea Foundation, Peter Schuyler and Lisa Stratton, and Tomchin Family Foundation. To see the full list of sponsors, please visit wyp.org/anniversary-year.

25th Anniversary Committee: Amy Schneider, Arno Jaffe, Brook Eiler, Carrie Kappel, Celia Hernandez, Chris Ragland, Eve Sommer-Belin, Geordie Scully, Kristen Sullivan, Pamme Mickelson, Sarah Sheshunoff, Siouxsie Jennet, Tamara Murray, and Teresa Romero

2024 Board of Directors: April Price, Amy Schneider, Brook Eiler, Carrie Kappel, Chris Ragland, Devon Azzam, Franky Viveros, Kristen Sullivan, Laura Russell, Lisa Bass, Marlen Limón, Raquel Lopez, and Teresa Romero

25 Years of Wilderness Youth Project (WYP)

Founded in 1999, Wilderness Youth Project has been dedicated to connecting local youth with nature and fostering a love for the environment. Through hands-on experiences and mentorship, WYP empowers over 1,250 children annually, promoting their growth and development in a nurturing, outdoor setting.

For 25 years now, the Santa Barbara community has welcomed Wilderness Youth Project by sharing the land, your children, your volunteer hours, and your donations. Join us as we celebrate 25 years of connecting youth to nature and set the stage for another 25+ years of service to our community helping young people grow happier, healthier, smarter, and more likely to care for the Earth.

25th Anniversary Community Celebration Event Details:

• Date: Saturday, October 5, 2024
• Time: 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Location: Santa Barbara City College’s Great Meadow, 721 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara, CA 93109
• Tickets: Free at wyp.org; donations encouraged during online registration.

MORE ABOUT WILDERNESS YOUTH PROJECT 

The mission of Wilderness Youth Project is to foster confidence, health, and a lifelong love of learning for young people and families through active outdoor experiences and mentoring.

WYP takes participants to nature: such as creeks, beaches, mountain trails, and open spaces in Santa Barbara’s abundant front country. Their adventures include child-centered exploration, awareness, and naturalist skill-building. They use a nature-based mentoring curriculum that combines experience in nature with a hands-on learning process. Participants play with WYP many times over the course of a season, deepening connections with themselves, the group, their mentors, and the places they go.

Get involved! When you volunteer your time or help fund scholarships, you bring nature within reach to local kids. For more information, visit www.wyp.org, or contact WYP at 805-964-8096 or info@wyp.org.