Big City Mountaineers is launching its first regional expansion from summer to year-round programming in the San Francisco Bay area. Funded entirely by a $21,250 grant from REI, BCM will now continue to engage its youth group partners in unique and challenging outdoor adventures beyond its core summer programming.
According to BCM, the San Francisco Bay Area has become the organizations largest and most successful region in the country since they began offering Bay Area programs in 2001. In summer 2004, BCM conducted 13 recreational mentoring trips to Yosemite National Park with teens from some of the most under-resourced communities of Northern California.
“Evolving from a single, intense eight-day backcountry experiences to a series of outdoor adventures that allows for continued interaction between our teen participants and volunteer leaders has been a goal for BCM since our San Francisco program was created in 2001,” comments Mark Godley, Executive Director of BCM. “However, it wasn't until early 2004 that the critical mass of volunteers, youth agencies, and outdoor industry partners came together that would allow us to fulfill this strategic vision.”
