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Wildwood Outdoor Education Center, Inc.

Kids grow better outside

LaCygne, KS   |  www.wildwoodctr.org

Mission

We bring kids outside to learn and grow together, transforming summer into a season of learning, youth development, and outdoor adventure for low-income Kansas City area youth.

Ruling year info

1979

Principal Officer

Ms. Robyn Ratcliff

Main address

7095 W. 399th Street

LaCygne, KS 66040 USA

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Formerly known as

Allendale-by-Jingo

EIN

43-1154205

NTEE code info

Elementary, Secondary Ed (B20)

Youth Development Programs (O50)

Environmental Education and Outdoor Survival Programs (C60)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Blog

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

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Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Camp Wildwood

During summer, Wildwood combines a traditional summer sleep-away camp experience with innovative programs to prevent summer learning loss including reading and STEM activities for low-income KC area youth.

Wildwood Camp programs teach youth to overcome challenges, apply science in a variety of settings, and build community. To reach youth in need, Wildwood utilizes a variety of community partners in the Kansas City region. Partners include schools, community centers and social service agencies.

The majority of Wildwood summer campers live in the Kansas City area (specifically Wyandotte county, KS and Jackson county, MO), and most campers need financial assistance to attend.

Summer camp programs are supported through scholarship funds generously donated by foundations, corporations and individuals in the Kansas City community.

Population(s) Served
Non-adult children

Wildwood offers a meaningful escape from the brick and mortar for educators and student alike. Participants take a break from the books and dry-erase boards to engage students in hands-on exploration of the natural world.

Wildwood outdoor school programs bring life into lessons of science, engineering and mathematics, and enhance the overall performance of students through promotion of positive social skills and team-building.

Wildwood's ropes courses introduce problem-solving and team-building in a fun and effective way.  Wildwood customizes 1-5 day outdoor education programs for schools, churches and youth groups.

Population(s) Served

Wildwood's beautiful natural landscape and quality amenities make it a great venue for events of all kinds. The facilities are available for weddings, corporate retreats or family reunions. No matter the occasion, Wildwood's peaceful environment enhances the occasion for guests and make it an event to remember.

Fees paid to Wildwood for facility use go right back into the organization to support outdoor education for low-income youth in the Kansas City region. A variety of rental packages are available, ranging from tent camping or single-building rental to exclusive property access, including staff and programming.

Population(s) Served
Adults

Where we work

Accreditations

American Camping Association (ACA) - Accreditation 2019

Awards

Affiliations & memberships

American Camp Association - Member 2001

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

Wildwood aims to solve the problem of summer for Kansas City kids.

During the summer months, many school-year supports disappear. Daily meals, transportation, and supervision evaporates for parents when summer school concludes.

Summer programs can fill the gaps, but a full season of programs cost families, on average, $3,000 per child. Additionally, many summer programs rely on parent transportation (often during work hours), or programs that offer robust services don't reach the families they intend to serve.

With financial, transportation, and awareness roadblocks in parents' way, many KC kids end up indoors, with reduced access to outdoor play, friendships, healthy meals, and learning opportunities.

Wildwood employs several strategies to increase access to summer camp. First, we offer overnight camps on a “pay-what-you-can” scale from $25-550 per session. Next, Wildwood provides free bus transportation to and from camp, with four bus stops across the Kansas City metro. Finally, we work with a network of community partners who inform the families they serve about Wildwood and its benefits.

To ensure each camp session is as impactful as possible, Wildwood

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We act on the feedback we receive

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time

Financials

Wildwood Outdoor Education Center, Inc.
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

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Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

Wildwood Outdoor Education Center, Inc.

Board of directors
as of 01/18/2024
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board co-chair

Ms. Lisa Barber

Community Volunteer

Term: 2026 - 2024


Board co-chair

Ms Christy Turner

Turner Construction

Term: 2023 - 2025

Shelly Sanders

Lee’s Summit School District

Christie Crounse

Evergy

Sara Garrett

Central Surfaces

Kate Hood

Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City

Mara Proctor

CKF

Stephen Powell

Rockhurst High School

Kelly Anstine

Bernstein-Rein

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 1/18/2024
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

Transgender Identity

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data