Adventure, Risk & Challenge

Adventure, Risk & Challenge, a University of California Berkeley and Santa Barbara program, was founded in 2004 in Truckee, CA for Tahoe-Truckee and Bay Area students. In 2007, thanks to a unique parntership and funding from the Council, a second program is beginning at the Sedgwick Reserve in Santa Ynez, CA. This program is the first collaboration within the UC for a K-12 outreach effort between field stations, universities and the UC Natural Reserve System (NRS). This is ground breaking in terms of the long-term possibility of public outreach access to UC field stations and the collaboration/ sharing of best programs. The ARC program focuses on depth rather than breadth, offering this intensive immersion to a small group of students. By utilizing UC field stations, we have the unique opportunity to connect students to their local environment/ outdoor spaces, to UC opportunities and to local community members who visit their course. We show students how to become active citizens; we give them the tools to integrate their learning into their lives at home. After the 6-week immersion, we require community service projects of students’ choices in home neighborhoods. In our first three years, we have shown that ARC can make a difference; our graduates have been published in local papers several times, aired live on public radio, organized protests, and been elected leaders of local community groups. In our pool of 27 graduates, we have a soccer captain, a student who organized her own junior study abroad in Costa Rica, students taking AP courses, Summer Search supported students, three seniors accepted to 4 year colleges, another who has been sponsored to become a founding member of the Queen of Hearts Foundation, and many students active in long term community service. Our program represents a focused, whole person approach to inspiring growth and transformation within individual students and thus, within communities.

2150 Shattuck Avenue, Suite 313
Berkeley, CA 94704
http://www.arcprogram.org

Contact Information:
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Gurecki
Jennifer

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Awards Granted
  • 2011 Impact Fund

    Adventure Risk Challenge (ARC) (Central Valley) was awarded $30,000 to connect underserved Merced County youth to outdoor opportunities. Using best practices in youth development and outdoor education, ARC will train a diverse group of UC Merced undergrads to mentor participants from similar backgrounds in a year-round program of outdoor adventure and literacy. The program’s goal is to build the skills and confidence youth need for high school graduation, college success, environmental stewardship, and civic engagement.

  • 2010 Impact Fund

    $30,000 to provide challenging wilderness retreats in Yosemite National Park, in-school academic support, and community-wide civic engagement for English Language Learners and their families. ARC builds achievement, connection, and potential for the underserved rural youth of Dos Palos in Merced County. The program links wilderness to academics, adventure to leadership, environmental science to literacy and confidence to activism.

  • 2009 Impact Fund
    Adventure, Risk & Challenge program

    $30,000 towards inspiring underserved youth to multiple natural environments, and wilderness places, so they can envision success and become engaged empowered citizens.

  • 2007 Impact Fund
    ARC UC Field Station Collaboration: Development and Capacity Building

    $40,000 towards The ARC collaboration between UC Field Stations, the NRS, University Departments, School Districts, Forest Service & Park Service, and local non-profit organizations serving and impacting California students. Other website: http://sagehen.ucnrs.org/arc/index.htm

  • 2006 Partnership Fund
    Adventure, Risk & Challenge program

    $65,000 to expand the Adventure Risk & Challenge program which provides leadership and literacy training through outdoor experiences for English language learners.

  • 2008 Impact Fund
    Adventure, Risk & Challenge program

    $25,000 towards building capacity in the UC Merced and the Wawona Field Station. By utilizing UC field stations, the organization has the unique opportunity to connect students to their local environment/ outdoor spaces, to UC opportunities & to local community members who visit their courses. After the 6-week immersion, students are required to do community service projects of their choices in home neighborhoods.

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