The following recommendation comes from the Aspen Institute’s State of Play Colorado: Aspen to Parachute report. The report assesses the opportunities and barriers for more children to access play, sports and outdoor recreation in rural Colorado communities.
The Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys are filled with wonderful opportunities to enjoy the outdoors.
Yet these opportunities often exist in silos based on geography, socioeconomics and culture. Community leaders could pilot a summer adventure club that samples various outdoor activities from all corners of the region. The idea surfaced through our advisory group brainstorming sessions with officials at the Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club (AVSC) and Garfield County Outdoors (GCO).
Miah Wheeler, AVSC director of development, said there is a need to “break the mold” of youth programming. “Bringing kids together from different communities and financial backgrounds in the outdoors is paramount to creating an equitable greater community,” Wheeler said. “Learning new ways to recreate and appreciate others gives kids a common ground they can relate to no matter their circumstances or location.”
A gap in many communities is the lack of programming during summer months when youth may need it most, said Scott Partan, program director for GCO, which provides outdoor education opportunities in local schools and communities. “Not only would the adventure club be a great opportunity to address that and for youth to experience the amazing outdoor recreation opportunities in our area, but it would also enable youth to connect with those outside their normal circle,” he said.
That last point isn’t lost on many children and parents involved in travel sports, who say they appreciate that friendships are built throughout the region thanks to sports. “It’s nice to broaden my daughter’s horizons because there are different characteristics in the region,” said a travel soccer mom. “Her childhood would be so limited if she was playing with the same set of local girls all the way through her sporting career in the valley.” Those connections are less available in outdoor activities that tend to concentrate efforts within local communities.
Finding common ground within our communities is vital as society becomes more polarized. Launching a youth adventure club, of course, doesn’t solve major problems. Think of it as a bridge for young people to connect with people who differ from them — a valuable skill to learn in life. Imagine taking children to different communities to engage in skiing, snowshoeing, fishing, climbing, archery, hiking, kayaking, paddleboarding, biking and more. One week the club could meet in Aspen or Carbondale; another week it could visit Parachute or Rifle.
Children won’t master any single recreational skill through the club. They will dabble in various activities hosted by recreational providers with the underlying goal of guiding youth interaction outside their cultural boundaries. Start with a pilot program — maybe 20 to 60 children depending on capacity — and build wins to potentially scale up in the future. Transportation methods would need to be identified to take children to and from activities. Perhaps school buses could be utilized with classes out during the summer.
Costs for the adventure club would need to be affordable. The club could be funded by corporate sponsors or other donors who appreciate the beauty of the Colorado outdoors and human connectedness, or possibly Great Outdoors Colorado, a state fund that invests a portion of lottery proceeds into outdoor programs and opportunities. Corporate sponsors would have the opportunity to engage their next generation of consumers on products and build a narrative around the value of healthy, resilient young people enjoying the outdoors. Surveys of attendees could measure progress and inform future efforts, such as what activities children want to try and the benefits of new interactions.
Learning about and interacting with different people helps children realize that we’re all human, despite differences in how we look or dress, or what we eat or celebrate, or even how we recreate. Imagine if recreation more intentionally taught children the beauty of similarities and differences.
Jon Solomon is Community Impact Director of the Aspen Institute’s Project Play initiative. Jon can be reached at jon.solomon@aspeninstitute.org.