Scholarships available for two-week backpacking sessions for 15-17 year olds

A donor has made scholarships available for teens ages 15, 16 and 17 who are eager to backpack on the Pacific Crest Trail, learn wilderness skills, and engage in personal growth through an inclusive small-group experience in nature.

The Woolman Teen Leadership Camp is located at Sierra Friends Center near Nevada City, Calif., on a 230-acre wooded campus nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. The facilities include cabins, a dining hall, meetinghouse, playing fields, arts and crafts buildings, a creek, a swimming pond, and walking trails.

Amy Cooke, the camp director, said, “We are a camp that focuses on peace and justice, creating a space where all campers feel safe and accepted for who they are. Our program is also unique in the fact that we take all our campers on overnight backpacking trips. For many teens, this is their first experience living in nature: sleeping on the ground under the stars, packing in all their food and gear, and sharing the work and humor of communal living.”

As a parent recently commented, “Teen Leadership Camp offered my son diverse outdoor activities around Woolman core values, allowing him to challenge himself physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. From ‘going the distance’ while backpacking, to time spent alone reflecting, the two weeks spent at camp helped our son mature in an environment of fun and caring.”

There are three two-week sessions of Teen Leadership Camp this summer, running from June 24-Aug. 4. Each session has a slightly different focus and hiking intensity.

The full cost for a two-week session is $1,450. Scholarships (up to 100 percent tuition) are awarded on a sliding scale dependent upon family size and income.

Online registration is available at woolman.org.

For information about financial aid or the application process, contact the camp via email at camp@woolman.org, or call Melora Purell, the camp operations manager, at 808-333-0976.