TRAILS FOR YOUTH ORG

Our goal is to improve the social-emotional and physical health of the youth we serve. TYO youth spend hundreds of hours biking or hiking the nature trails, challenging themselves to succeed, and then standing prouder for their accomplishments. Our programs forge deep lasting connections for these youth and provide healthy outlets and established habits that carry with them throughout life. Their successes and joy are associated and connected to their local trails and parks and they establish an "ownership" of those trails. Youth will be vigilant in not littering, help to maintain the trails, volunteer to help keep the park clean - all these elements are instilled within our programs. Through our programs, youth connect to their environment and build stronger self-esteem and confidence. Laura, a young adult who was a rider from a local title-1 school since 5th grade said it best. She was volunteering at an event to help lead younger girls on a ride, and said, "without TYO and all I did with you, I wouldn't even try for college."

Our strategies remain to continue to work with local schools and organizations to directly impact the at-risk youth that has the most need for our services. TYO will continue to outreach to the underserved, primarily Hispanic community within Northern Virginia to offer opportunities for these youth to get outside and get active within the natural areas so close to their home, and yet remain out of reach due to their economic disadvantages. As an established community organization we have cultivated tremendous support from local schools, civic associations, government, business leaders, park managers, and local families. Through our established support and partnerships we will continue to provide our approximately 100 events per year for the underserved youth in our community.

TYO staff, Board of Directors, and key volunteers have provided over 50,000 opportunities to local youth to be outdoors and active since our inception in 2003. During these accumulated years of experience, our staff and key volunteers have been recognized by their employers for outstanding efforts in directing intern programs, been awarded numerous accolades for their dedication and success from outside entities such as Responsibly Sports, REI, Networking for Women, FOX/IMBA Hero Award and many local news features for on-going positive efforts in youth development. All staff and key volunteers undergo a background check and continued certification of First Aid and CPR. In short, experiences are numerous and we are well-qualified to continue to implement our programs.

Since our inception, TYO has provided over 50,000 youth opportunities to get outdoors and active. We implement approximately 100 events each year and continue to improve or hone our skills to best meet the needs of our youth community. TYO