Adventure Leadership Summit 2025
ADVENTURE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT 2025 LEADERSHIP SUMMIT CHECK-IN: OPENS SATURDAY 7:30 AM Get checked-in early (Saturday), and enjoy breakfast from 231 West. Network with other Adventure Leaders from around the Midwest. Get ready for a day of engaging speakers and topics. Contact: if you have questions before the leadership weekend. YOU’LL GET LEADERSHIP TRAINING ON AND OFF THE BIKE* Your training will be done inside and out. What does that mean? Pack your bike and gear. Be ready for anything. It’s da U.P.! Seriously, though, show up prepared for anything. It’s a good time, and might get a little “enhanced”. We will train on the bike (outside) rain or shine. Be prepared. IMPORTANT NOTES: 1. Basecamp volunteers can opt out of On-The-Bike-Training. If you plan to opt out, please email ASAP. 2. BRING YOUR BIKE AND ALL YOUR BIKE GEAR. 3. HELMETS ARE REQUIRED. Breakfast & Lunch are provided Saturday & Sunday.Sunday is a box lunch for travel to base camp. Training should be done by 2:30 pm Sunday. Download the Agenda Volunteer Panel Q&A & Social at Barrell + Beam Saturday night 6:30 – 8:00 pm A casual and relaxed opportunity to grab a beer, ask some questions, and learn more about Adventure Teams. We look forward to this part of the weekend every year. Folks who attend say it’s one of their favorite parts of the weekend. AREA LEADS: DON’T FORGET TO GO HOME WITH YOUR GEAR This is a reminder for our Area Leads that most (if not all) of you will have something you need to take home with you. New communities will have a lot, including bikes! Make sure you know how you’re gonna get everything back home. If you’re not sure how much stuff we have for ya get ahold of Marc at Lakeshore Basecamp. He can send ya a copy of your order. CANCELLATION NOTICE If for some reason you are unable to make it, please let us know as far in advance as possible. We have a waitlist of people who tried to get in. Contact: Supporting Partners A 501(c)3 organization, building a nationwide community one partnership at a time. Building Basecamp One Partnership At A Time
Doing The Hard Things – April 2025
What’s inside: From the Director of AdventureAdventure Team Registration2 New Communities Set to Launch ProgramsVolunteer TrainingMade U.P. PodcastsLeadership SummitJumping into the OutdoorsTraining Day 160 If you’re worried about doing it wrong, don’t! I came home from spring break with a story to share. Cable (my 14-year-old son) and I went to camp for a few days during spring break. We had a bunch of stuff planned, like shooting the bow he got for Christmas, scouting our hunting area for the best spot to put a bow blind, and getting all the gear (rods, reels, and tackle) ready for spring fishn’. Cable loves to fish, and he has collected a lot of gear over the last several years that’s all kinda been living in a hogpog of small tackle boxes and little plastic boxes. When we got to camp, I surprised him with a brand new tackle box I figured was big enough to consolidate all of his stuff into a one-stop shop. He was pretty excited. When he was ready, I helped get the stuff together and set him up with a workspace. Then, I discretely moved on to another project… leaving him to figure things out independently. Of course, that didn’t last long 😂 “Hey, Dad. Can you come here? I don’t know how to do this.” I went over to the table and asked, “What’s up, bud?” There was gear everywhere. He had a lure in each hand and looked up at me, kinda overwhelmed, “I’m not sure what to do. I don’t think it’ll all fit.” This was an important moment for both of us. Naturally, I have opinions about how I would set up that tackle box, but this was his box, not mine, and I wanted him to own every step. So, I just started asking him some questions. “How do you think you should organize the lures? By species? Or maybe by lure type?” He pulled out two plastic trays from the tackle box and said, “At first, I was gonna have a tray for bass, another for pike, and one for walleye, but a bunch of the lures can be used for multiple species, so that doesn’t make sense.” He set the trays down and got quiet. “I think organizing by lure type makes the most sense.” I nodded. He continued, “I can put all of the floaters together in this (showing me an empty bin), countdowns in this one, and spoons in another.” He smiled. I smiled, too. “I think you’re onto something, Cable,” I said and started to walk back to what I was working on, but then stopped and added, “If you’re worried about doing it wrong, don’t. This is your tackle and box; you can set it up any way you want. If you don’t like it… change it. You’re the boss.” I wanted to share this story with our 906AT community because I think we (adults) all too often miss opportunities to encourage curiosity and empower kids to get creative and make decisions. In this example with Cable, I was trying to let him take control and let him know I trusted him! I also wanted to make sure he knows there’s no wrong way to set up his tackle. Even if there was a right and a wrong way – what’s the worst that can happen? He has to do it again? Heck, there’s nothing wrong with learning that way (hands-on). It’s fun for adults to feel like they have all of the answers, but what’s the cost for our kids? Let’s give em’ some space to run with their ideas. Who knows. Maybe they’ll teach us something we didn’t know. By Todd Poquette Mark your calendars! AT registration opening soon! Adventure Team Youth Registration: Saturday, May 3 @ noonEarly Registration for kids of volunteers: Friday, May 2 @ 6:00am – 9:06pm Step 1: Sign upStep 2: Show upStep 3: Enjoy the ride (especially the hard stuff) Many of the teams sell out within a few hours. Set a reminder and be ready to register! Adventure Team kids learn how to do hard things AND that they are capable of doing them without always needing an incentive. Learning how to do the hard stuff for the sake of doing it is a skill that will serve them as children and adults. The goal of Adventure Team is to reach all youth, regardless of ability, goals or equipment. From there we focus on discovery. Everyone rides at AT, no one sits out – regardless of age or experience. This is about developing a lifestyle, building a community, and removing the finish line. Failure is viewed as an opportunity to learn. Competition is within the individual: You vs. You. If you’re on our mailing list – watch your inbox, we’ll be sending more information via email regarding registration as the date gets closer. In the meantime – click the link below and watch the video on how to prepare for registration and make sure you’re ready to claim a spot. ADVENTURE TEAM REGISTRATION INFO We’re adding 2 new Adventure Teams! This year we’re excited to be running Adventure Teams in 15 communities in the Midwest with the addition of Adventure Team Kalamazoo and Adventure Team Ludington. This means more kids will be given opportunities to get outside, get off the sideline and get into the elements. This is what it’s about. This is what we show up for. Today’s kids, tomorrow’s leaders. Adventure Team Coach Training: Get er done! Volunteers! Don’t wait – get your online training started (and finished)! Deadline to complete: April 23 If you’ve registered to volunteer, check your inbox for instructions on how to go through the online training. It will come from There are nine modules covering everything from Adventure Team mindset, basecamp logistics and expectations to trail etiquette, riding, first aid and abuse prevention. Take this seriously – take notes – and come prepared to Adventure Team! VOLUNTEER Made U.P. Episode 3:
Doing The Hard Things – March 2025
What’s inside: From Basecamp – Podcasts are LIVE – Become a Volunteer Leadership Summit 2025 – Jumping into the Outdoors The Polar Roll – Experience I’m finally a part of the 906 Adventure Team! To understand my excitement is to go back to the beginning. Now, I wrote a lengthy story for this newsletter – I am not a human of few words – but many. However, rather than fill up the entire first edition of this newsletter – I asked Todd if he wanted to record a podcast and talk about the experiences that brought me here and why my passion for this organization is so personal. I’ve never been afraid of doing hard things, in fact, I seek them out. A quiet and shy child I was drawn to broadcast television not because I wanted to be famous or loved the spotlight, but rather because it scared me…. pushed me outside of my comfort zone. From my time in the news industry as an anchor, reporter and co-host of a lively lifestyle program to backpacking Isle Royale, Pictured Rocks, Glacier National Park and beyond… I have throughout my life sought out challenges and adventures that pushed me to my limits. It’s where I found myself. It’s where I connected to that “something that is bigger than all of us.” It’s where I found my strength and cemented my values. I shared that with my daughter from a young age. Taking her backpacking, canoeing, hiking… I watched her thrive, connect, push her limits, break and build herself back up through outdoor adventure. Parenting my son was a completely different experience, one that pushed me to 906AT. This organization was the catalyst to incredible growth for my son. And it’s the story I wanted to share with all of you. It’s a story about commitment, doing hard things, having open conversations and never giving up. Click here to listen to my conversation with Todd and the first episode of the new #blametodd pod. After you listen, I think you’ll understand why, I have for years been waiting for an opportunity with 906AT that fits my skills, my beliefs, and my life’s mission. And why I want to be a part of the team that cultivates a space that encourages and creates space for kids to push their boundaries, do hard things and find their inner strength, confidence and worth. I’m here for it all. I’m here to do it myself… to keep pushing through my discomfort. The world needs this. Our kids need this. And I will work my tail off to keep the 906AT mission moving forward. By Elizabeth Peterson Made U.P. Podcast – these episodes will be longer formatted, deep conversations about the inner workings of doing hard things. They’re honest, raw, gritty, tough conversations and topics about life, living, failing and picking up the pieces. They’ll be about 906AT events and they won’t be. We’re making it up as we go. You’re going to have to tune in to see where it takes us. *intended for audiences 18 and older. #blametodd pod – these episodes will be shorter – focused on topics around 906 Adventure Team, people, experiences and programs. Click here to subscribe to our YouTube ChannelClick here to follow us on Spotify “Am I good enough to volunteer?” That’s the question we hear – the question that may be holding you back from volunteering and potentially giving a child an opportunity to participate. Here’s our answer: It all starts with showing up. If you know how to ride a mountain bike and have experience on a variety of trails; paved trails, two-tracks, singletrack, etc, you’ll be just fine, and by the end of the summer your riding skills will be better, too. Our common ground isn’t skill based. It isn’t performance driven. Our common ground is core values and providing opportunity for people to discover a better version of themselves. Getting better takes hard work, patience, and let’s be real, a community that supports you. Last year 1,200 kids got on bikes through Adventure Team programs in 13 communities. This year we’re growing that number to 1,300+ kids in 15 communities. That means we’ll need 550+ volunteers. We can’t do this without you. We can’t get kids on bikes without you. We need you. VOLUNTEER NOW Leadership Summit 2025 The 2025 Leadership Summit will look a little different than past summits. This year 906AT implemented a new learning management system for volunteer coaches. This new system is branded and streamlined, which allowed 906AT to require the online training for all volunteer coaches. This change to the volunteer training is providing an opportunity for an expansion of the volunteer training (rather than an in-person version of the online training). The two-day summit will focus on an indoor training day to include sharing the 906 story, practicing connections with kids, first aid in the field and Q&A for a panel of current lead coaches. The second day will focus on outdoor training and will include bike skills and bike mechanics. REGISTER NOW Have you ever climbed a tree? When I was a child, my siblings and I were allowed to climb as high as we wanted as long as we could get ourselves back down. I do not remember my parents ever “saving” us, nor did we sustain any injuries from falling out of the tree. I just witnessed this same policy with a group of pre-school children who were on an adventure with a forest school class. I think it is a bit unusual to see an outdoor school class with this policy these days. At the adventure that I witnessed the kids were safe – not safe from all risk but safe in that the adult on site knew where the child was and that the child could explain how to get themselves back down. Imagine the feeling of accomplishment that child felt when they successfully managed the climb and descent on their own.
Book and Podcast recommendations for Volunteers – May
2024 VOLUNTEERS – APRIL UPDATE Summit Attendees, Volunteers, and Presenters, It was mentioned several times at the summit, but it’s worth saying again… We are here to be a resource for developing resilient youth, and we need YOU to help us do it. Therefore, helping you is as important as helping the kids because you deliver the messages to them. To that end, I wanted to share some resources. You’ll find links to two books. I highly recommend them. Junger and Haidt are two of my favorite writers. TRIBE is an incredible book that reinforces our desire and need for community. Anxious Generation is a call to action. I hope you enjoy them both. Additionally, I shared a couple of podcasts. Huberman Lab and Jocko Podcast are two of my favorites. Both of the episodes I shared with you speak to our mission. The third podcast is actually a podcast in which I was the guest, and Julie Cunningham was one of the hosts. TRIBE We have a strong instinct to belong to small groups defined by clear purpose and understanding–“tribes.” This tribal connection has been largely lost in modern society, but regaining it may be the key to our psychological survival.Decades before the American Revolution, Benjamin Franklin lamented that English settlers were constantly fleeing over to the Indians-but Indians almost never did the same. Tribal society has been exerting an almost gravitational pull on Westerners for hundreds of years, and the reason lies deep in our evolutionary past as a communal species. The most recent example of that attraction is combat veterans who come home to find themselves missing the incredibly intimate bonds of platoon life. The loss of closeness that comes at the end of deployment may explain the high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by military veterans today. Combining history, psychology, and anthropology, TRIBE explores what we can learn from tribal societies about loyalty, belonging, and the eternal human quest for meaning. It explains the irony that-for many veterans as well as civilians-war feels better than peace, adversity can turn out to be a blessing, and disasters are sometimes remembered more fondly than weddings or tropical vacations. TRIBE explains why we are stronger when we come together, and how that can be achieved even in today’s divided world. Anxious Generation THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Coddling of the American Mind, an essential investigation into the collapse of youth mental health-and a plan for a healthier, freer childhood. After more than a decade of stability or improvement, the mental health of adolescents plunged in the early 2010s. Rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide rose sharply, more than doubling on most measures. Why? In The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt lays out the facts about the epidemic of teen mental illness that hit many countries at the same time. He then investigates the nature of childhood, including why children need play and independent exploration to mature into competent, thriving adults. Haidt shows how the *play-based childhood” began to decline in the 1980s, and how it was finally wiped out by the arrival of the “phone-based childhood” in the early 2010s. He presents more than a dozen mechanisms by which this “great rewiring of childhood” has interfered with children’s social and neurological development, covering everything from sleep deprivation to attention fragmentation, addiction, loneliness, social contagion, social comparison, and perfectionism. He explains why social media damages girls more than boys and why boys have been withdrawing from the real world into the virtual world, with disastrous consequences for themselves, their families, and their societies. Most important, Haidt issues a clear call to action. He diagnoses the “collective action problems” that trap us, and then proposes four simple rules that might set us free. He describes steps that parents, teachers, schools, tech companies, and governments can take to end the epidemic of mental illness and restore a more humane childhood. Haidt has spent his career speaking truth backed by data in the most difficult landscapes-communities polarized by politics and religion, campuses battling culture wars, and now the public health emergency faced by Gen Z. We cannot afford to ignore his findings about protecting our children-and ourselvesfrom the psychological damage of a phone-based life. https://youtu.be/etEJrznE-c0?feature=shared HUBERMAN LAB Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., is a neuroscientist and tenured professor in the department of neurobiology, and by courtesy, psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford School of Medicine. He has made numerous significant contributions to the fields of brain development, brain function and neural plasticity, which is the ability of our nervous system to rewire and learn new behaviors, skills and cognitive functioning. https://youtu.be/fQPj5Xww5UY?feature=shared JOCKO PODCAST JOCKO WILLINK is a decorated retired Navy SEAL officer, author of the book Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win, and co-founder of Echelon Front, where he is a leadership instructor, speaker, and executive coach. Jocko spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy SEAL Teams, starting as an enlisted SEAL and rising through the ranks to become a SEAL officer. As commander of SEAL Team Three’s Task Unit Bruiser during the battle of Ramadi, he orchestrated SEAL operations that helped the “Ready First” Brigade of the US Army’s First Armored Division bring stability to the violent, war-torn city.Task Unit Bruiser became the most highly decorated Special Operations Unit of the Iraq War. Jocko returned from Iraq to serve as Officer-in-Charge of training for all West Coast SEAL Teams. There, he spearheaded the development of leadership training and personally instructed and mentored the next generation of SEAL leaders who have continued to perform with great success on the battlefield. TEACH WONDER We know that powerful things are happening in education and that those powerful things often go unnoticed or are siloed (within a community). We’ve built a space to share those powerful things, where we aren’t constrained by distance and scheduling. We’ll combine our 35 years of K – 12 teaching experience with the unique perspectives of our guests
Adventure Leadership Summit 2024
ADVENTURE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT Off The Bike Training Barrel + Beam 260 Northwoods Road Marquette, MI 49855 On The Bike Training Lakeshore Basecamp 955 North Lakeshore Blvd Marquette, MI 49855 LEADERSHIP SUMMIT CHECK-IN: OPENS SATURDAY 7:30 AM Get checked-in and enjoy breakfast from 231 West. Network with Adventure Leaders from around the Midwest. We start Saturday together, but after lunch we’ll go separate ways. Some will stay at Barrell + Beam while others will go to Basecamp. We’ll share the schedule with you a week before the event. Contact: if you have questions before leadership weekend. YOU’LL GET LEADERSHIP TRAINING ON AND OFF THE BIKE* Your training will be done inside and out. What does that mean? Pack your bike and gear. Be ready for anything. It’s da U.P.! Seriously, though, show up prepared for anything. It’s a good time, and might get a little “enhanced”. Helmets are required, in case you are wondering. One more thing, if the weather permits, we’ll ride trails, but if it’s wet we won’t. We have a lot of options to choose from. * Basecamp volunteers can opt-out of on-the-bike training, but anyone planning to coach on the bike has to go through it. *We’re working on an outdoor option for running coaches too. We will let everyone know one week before the summit what day they’ll be outside on the bike. Breakfast is provided Saturday & Sunday.Lunch is provided Saturday. Training should be done by 1pm Sunday. Download the Agenda Volunteer Panel Q&A & Social at Barrell + Beam Saturday night Don’t miss this chance to ask questions and hang out with experienced leaders from across the Adventure Team communities from 6:30 – 8:00pm Saturday night. BEFORE YOU HEAD HOME YOU WILL COMPLETE ALL OF YOUR QUIZZES We have scheduled time at the end of each day for you to complete your quizzes. It’s important to get this done before you head home for the weekend. Make sure you can do it on a laptop or your mobile device while you’re with us. AREA LEADS: DON’T FORGET TO GO HOME WITH YOUR GEAR This is a reminder for our Area Leads that most (if not all) of you will have something you need to take home with you. New communities will have a lot, including bikes! Make sure you know how you’re gonna get everything back home. If you’re not sure how much stuff we have for ya get ahold of Marc at Lakeshore Basecamp. He can send ya a copy of your order. CANCELLATION NOTICE If for some reason you are unable to make it, please let us know as far in advance as possible. We have a waitlist of people who tried to get in. Contact: Todd Poquette
Volunteers 2024 April Update
2024 VOLUNTEERS – APRIL UPDATE Important Dates 4.21.2024 LMS Online Training must be completed 4.27.2024 Adventure Leadership Summit (Training for all volunteers must be completed) 5.03.2024 Early Adventure Team Registration (Volunteers Only) 5.04.2024 Adventure Team Registration (Public) APRIL 2024: ADVENTURE TEAM VOLUNTEER DISPATCH Believe it or not it’s April and Adventure Team Youth Registration is less than one month away! With that being said, it’s time to check in and share some important volunteer information. By now you should have been sent an invitation to Sterling, passed your background check and been invited to the online training. If you have not completed both of those steps, or if you have only completed one of them, reach out to right away so we can get ya on-track. Up to this point in your volunteer adventure all you need to have done is your background check and training (unless you’re attending in-person training later this month). IF YOU’RE HAVING A HARD TIME GETTING THE BACKGROUND CHECK DONE… Contact IF YOU’RE PLANNING TO COMPLETE YOUR TRAINING ONLINE… You need to complete it by April 21st, 2024. IF YOU’RE PLANNING TO COMPLETE YOUR TRAINING IN-PERSON… You will complete it all while you’re here, including the quizzes. IF YOU’RE SIGNED UP TO ATTEND THE ADVENTURE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT… You’ll get an email with all of the details from us in the middle of next week. Until then, go ahead and download the schedule. 5.03.2024 IS EARLY REGISTRATION DAY FOR VOLUNTEERS You’ll get a chance to register your children a day ahead of the public opening, but only if you’ve passed the background check and completed your training. So, get er’ done! Early registration will be open from 8:00 am until 9:06 pm 5.03.2024. 5.04.2024 IS YOUTH REGISTRATION DAY FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC Registration will open at NOON EASTERN TIME. Yes, EASTERN TIME. Registration is not live yet. When it is we’ll send ya the link. Until then, you could visit www.bikereg.com and create an account, and learn how to use the program before registration.
Adventure Team Youth Resilience Program – March 2024 Update
Important Dates March 1, 2024 – Online Training Opens April 27 and 28, 2024 – Leading Adventure Summit May 4, 2024 @ 12:00 pm Eastern Time – Youth Registration ADVENTURE BIKE CLUB 2024 TIMELINE 3.13.2024 Adventure Team – Marquette: Join us at Ore Dock Brewing Join Adventure Team – Marquette next week (3.13.2024) at Ore Dock Brewing Co. from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. Meet and mingle with current volunteers and staff Short presentation/overview of who we are Q&A Everyone is welcome Potential volunteers ParentsGuardians of youth Sponsors Adventure Teams: How we’re doing. Where things stand. As the number of Adventure Teams continues to grow we’re working to increase our operational capacity and efficiency. This spring, we rolled out a new database to help aggregate data in one place and get stuff done through automation. Implementation is going well, but like anything new, we’re bound to run into some bugs. We’re working to address them daily. If you registered to volunteer and haven’t received your invitation to Sterling for a background check, or if you’ve got all of that done, and you’re waiting for an invite to the LMS, let us know: . Update: As of 9:06 pm last night, all 400 volunteers who submitted volunteer forms have been sent an invitation to Sterling to do their background checks. Anyone who has gone through and passed the background check was sent an invite to the LMS. We’re launching two new teams this year: Adventure Team Dickinson County and Adventure Team Grand Rapids. Both teams are working toward their fundraising and volunteer goals. Looking ahead to 2025, we are talking to three more potential teams (Kalamazoo, Mi, Ludington, Mi, and West Bend, Wisconsin). Momentum is growing. The community is strong. Volunteer recruitment has been strong, but we are always looking for people who are dedicated to the mission. The number of youth we reach depends on the number of volunteers who commit to helping us create more resilient, independent, courageous kids. If you haven’t signed up yet – get er’ done! If you know someone who would be a great fit – tell em’ we need their help. We need doers. Adventure Team Staff: We’re here to support you Youth Adventure Teams/Communication/Questions (Volunteers, Families)Julie Cunningham Sponsorships, Grants, DonationsLeslie Accounts Payable – Gear Store Questions Director of AdventureTodd Poquette April 27-28, 2024 ::: Leadership Summit We offer volunteers two ways to train: Online or in-person. Both are great, but you can’t beat the experience of spending a weekend with a hundred like-minded folks. I can tell that as of this morning there are only a few spots left. Register There are less than 20 spots left Online Training must be completed by April 21, 2024 This is an important date to have on your radar. If you plan to complete your training online it needs to be done by April 21, 2024. Here’s what we’ve learned over the past ten years: a lot of people wait till the last minute, so we’re moving the completion date up a couple of weeks to ensure we have enough time to have all of our ducks in a row on the backend before youth registration opens May 4th, 2024. Volunteers get a chance to register their children on May 3, 2024 – as long as they’ve passed the background check and completed training. We’ll provide a code for you to use and you will have until 9:06 pm on May 3rd to register. Please note: You will not be able to register early if you haven’t completed your training. Get your training done.
Ten more years for Tara
We started 2024 excited to celebrate our ten-year anniversary, but life had other plans. On January 19, 2024, an automobile accident claimed the life of our Adventure Coordinator, Tara Gluski. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about her family, friends, and everyone who knew her. When we lose someone we love, it’s normal to ask what we could have done. I did it for a couple days and decided I (we) must do something different. We must move forward and dedicate our energy not to what we could have done but to what we can do – honor Tara, and ensure her memory, and impact lives on. To that end, I want you to know our team is ready to dig in and continue her work. Here’s a list of people stepping up, what they will be doing, and a way to contact them if you have questions or need help. Youth Adventure Teams/Communication/Questions (Volunteers, Families)Julie Cunningham Sponsorships, Grants, DonationsLeslie Accounts Payable – Bookkeeping Gear Store Questions Questions regarding Events (Polar Roll, The Crusher, Marji Gesick), New Adventure Teams, Organizational Inquiries Todd Poquette Submitting EX event results: Send event results to this email Nicky Bates I sat down with Elizabeth Peterson on the TV6 Morning Show. We talked about Tara’s impact on our community, how we plan to move forward, and what’s planned for this year. You can check it out here. One last thing. At some point in the near future, we will look to bring another employee into the team to support our growth, not to replace Tara, but rather to carry on the mission with us. Adventure Coordinator, the title Tara held for five years, will be retired. There will never be another Tara, and therefore, there will never be another Adventure Coordinator. Todd PoquetteDirector of Adventure Ten more years for Tara… I want everyone to understand we’re gonna honor Tara forever, not just ten years. I want us to look forward instead of looking back. Let’s look at what we can do instead of what we could have done. Let’s lead by example. That’s what she always did. That’s what she would do if it had been one of us.
Giving Tuesday 2023
Empower Youth THROUGH YOUR YEAR END IMPACT READ MORE *Give securely through the GiveButter.com platform The next decade starts now We’re heading into our 10th year and we are ready to kick off the next decade of building youth resilience and empowerment. But we can’t grow without your partnership and financial support. Your support will not only continue to meet the growing needs of the communities we’re already in, it will also support growth into new communities. The goal? To raise $100,000 for youth resilience programming. Half is already secured; we need you to help raise the remaining $50,000. This is your call to action — let’s meet the challenge! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqgFXL3A_iI Take action and Give Now *Give securely through the GiveButter.com platform Our goal before year end is to raise $100,000, enabling us to bring transformative biking programs to more communities. Your support fuels this journey of growth and resilience. WHY YOUR SUPPORT IS VITAL It will take a community effort to expand our reach. Here’s the tangible impact of your donations: $20,000 is a direct investment into another Adventure Team and community. It is an investment that will shape lives for years to come. The initial cost to launch a new team is $400/youth. Over time, your support will impact today’s youth and future generations. We plan to share this success with 50 communities by 2028, creating a community of Adventure Teams working together to achieve a common goal and create infinite opportunities for our youth. The next ten years start now. Building Resilient Communities: Every new Adventure Team makes a $20,000 investment into the community’s youth and future. Developing Future Leaders: Here’s what we can agree on: Youth are the future of communities, and to lead, they will need to be resilient, prepared to face adversity, and understand how to build community. That’s what we’re here to do – help them get ready. Expanding Horizons: Your support will move us closer to the goal of establishing 50 Adventure Teams by the end of 2028. Fueling the Journey: We’ve got the team, all we need is your support. Give Now OUR MISSION IN MOTION Develop Grit and Resilience: Our goal is to develop people, therefore, we focus equally on life skills and bike skills. Build Confidence: Embrace the “growth mindset” and “Power of YET.” Teach youth how to overcome obstacles, on the trail, and in life. Embrace Teamwork: Collaboration is key. It’s you vs you, and me vs. me. We can succeed together. Promote Health and Exercise: Actions speak louder than words, and kids are always watching. It’s all about personal accountability and service to others. Give Now
CMHA of Michigan Endorses 906AT
The Community Mental Health Association of Michigan endorses 906AT’s lessons to build children’s character, provide coping skills, and promote their ability to adapt to challenges they will face moving into adulthood. As Directors of county-based community mental health programs in Michigan, we support the mission of this organization and its efforts in mentoring and building greater resiliency in children. The benefits of physical activity on improved mental well-being are well documented. By providing opportunities for children to find a passion for bicycling and being outdoors, the 906 Adventure Team is helping them to build confidence in themselves and bond with others while “doing hard things”. These lessons build character and give children skills to cope and adapt to the many challenges they will face moving into adulthood.