Click here to listen to the recent KQED program on youth and Adventure Education.
Touch Outdoors is 12-month nature experience for underserved girls (ages 13-18, predominately Samoan, from San Francisco’s Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood) at Camp Costanoan, a respite/recreational camp for children/adults, with physical/developmental disabilities. TOUCH participants volunteer at camp 1 weekend per month and attend a 2-week summer session, where the girls participate in nature hikes, overnight remote camp, and native habit workshops. A family weekend retreat will expose them to the outdoors to promote healthy living, away from the everyday violence of their communities.
35 Middlepoint
San Francisco, CA 94124
Contact Information:
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
415-559-9181
Faauuga Moliga-Puletasi
In 2010, 4 girls in our TOUCH Outdoors program received acceptance letters to UCLA, St. Marys College, UC Davis, and UC Riverside. Each girl wrote about their experience in TOUCH Outdoors in their personal statements. One youth, Jassenia Lopez, used her experience in her scholarship application and received a full ride academic scholarship from the Meritus College Fund.
In 2009, Seata Shylon graduated from June Jordan High School in San Francisco, CA and was awarded Valdectorian of her class. Seata spent a year volunteering at Camp Costanoan through our TOUCH Outdoors program, and later used that experience to help attain a full ride scholarship from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. After high school, Seata was accepted into Smith University where she now attends and is pursuing a degree in Anthropology. Seata is a Samoa youth from the Bayview Hunters Point and the first to attend college in her family. During the summers, Seata returns home to San Francisco and works at Camp Costanoan as a camp counselor.
In 2008, Brenda Martinez received a full ride academic scholarship from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation after receiving numerous awards from TOUCH Outdoors. Brenda dedicated over 100 hours of community service helping youth at camp enjoy the outdoors. Brenda is now attending San Jose State University where she is pursing a career in public health.
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