ENGAGE! Meet Participant Shirley

Step Two: ENGAGE!

“ENGAGE Camps are designed to build on the love of nature participants have fostered in Activate Camps by giving them more responsibilities and autonomy to go deeper (literally) into the Forest. During our Engage Camps participants spend time learning technical skills and LNT principles involved with backpacking and apply these skills to plan their own 2 or 3 night backpacking trip into the Bridger Teton National Forest. It has been amazing to see participants feel empowered by their new skill set and their enthusiasm to apply it towards their trip, but what's even more amazing is to see how spending multiple nights in nature and away from technology has helped participants connect with each other and themselves. My hope is that these camps are giving participants tools to not only continue to access their local wilderness but also to feel confident and reduce stress in their everyday lives.”

- Laura Gaylord, ENGAGE Program Manager

Our 2021 ENGAGE Programs had:

  • 60 kids at summer camp and outdoor activity clinics

  • 26 kids in new fall after-school study hall programs

  • 5 kids on the Jackson Hole Youth MTB Team

  • 10 kids in the JH Kayak Club

  • 10 kids in Coombs Climbing Club

  • 20 female participants in a Women of Winter ski day

  • 82 kids in weekend ski programs at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

  • 43 volunteer mentors skiing with participants

Meet ENGAGE Participant Shirley!

Shirley (13) has been adventuring in Coombs programs for the past three years. As an Engage participant, she spends summers rock climbing, rafting, hiking, and camping, and in the winter you can find her on the slopes of Jackson Hole each week in Powder Pals.

“Before Coombs, my family and friends didn’t spend a lot of time outside,” she says. “Now my brother and I are both in the program and we come home and tell our family about everything we did. Then we all go back out and try new things outside together.”

Shirley loves to hike, and after a few years in Coombs programs she knows her way around the local trails. “I love being outside,” she says. “It’s an escape from reality. If I’m stressed, I know I can go out and go for a hike or walk.” This summer, Shirley is learning more about camping, with two different backpacking trips throughout the summer. “All these activities have taught me a lot about myself, what I’m passionate about, and how to try new things,” she says. “Learning to camp with Coombs has showed me I can go out and do it on my own.”

Ryan Stolp