Live Huge & Make EVERYDAY An Outside Day

Y.E.S.!  Get Up, Get Out & Get Going. . .

Y.E.S., Youth Environmental Summit, is a two-day outdoor workshop for teams composed of 3-6 high school students & their teacher/advisor and professionals from environmental organizations & agencies.  Students and community leaders will be asked to come to the workshop with an environmental challenge they wish to address at their school or within their community. The major outcomes will include developing leadership skills for strategic planning, designing & implementing a "Plan of Action", follow up mentoring/networking for participants, and outdoor activities involving team building, restoration, environmental education and play. This retreat is all about connecting students with community resources and professionals so they can work together to make a difference.

WHO:  Teams of 4-5 student leaders and a teacher/advisor from any high school in Idaho or eastern Oregon is invited to attend this action packed two-day workshop.

WHAT:  A two-day "train the trainer" hands-on workshop will be conducted to help student teams:  (1) host their own Outside Day back at their school or in their community, (2) organize their own Green Ribbon Week (which incorporates Earth Day & Arbor Day in late April), (3) begin their own ecology club and/or connect an existing club with other ecology clubs, and (4) address local environmental problems at their school and/or community.  This interactive workshop will include dynamic eco-experts, hikes, environmental games, campfire conversation and special Dutch Oven treats. 

WHERE:  The Bogus Basin Nordic Center & yurt (for the overnight portion) and its extensive trail system for hiking and exploring during these fabulous fall conditions, (MapQuest directions from Boise).  That's right we're going to be up in the pine trees.

WHEN:  September 24-25, 2010 (what better way to kick off the Fall Equinox).  Students may come up for just the Friday workshop or they can spend the night camping under the pine trees and participate in the entire two day event.

WHY:  Students are becoming increasingly interested in environmental issues and they understand the importance of getting outside and why they need to encourage younger students to do the same.  Unfortunately many student leaders feel isolated and disconnected from a larger community of like minded students who share the same desire to institute change and really make a difference. Y.E.S. fills that niche by bringing together student leaders from throughout the state of Idaho so they can return to their schools and communities with leadership skills and a plan of action to address specific environmental challenges and demonstrate to their technologically fixated friends that its time to get outside and reconnect to life.

COSTS:  $20 per participant which includes all the meals and a special Y.E.S. t-shirt.  Limited scholarships will help cover transportation costs for teams that will be driving in from outside the Boise area.  Extra tents and clean sleeping bags will be available for students who need to borrow them. 

Y.E.S. Schedule

Friday, September 24, 2010

9:30 AM                Phase One:  welcome & introductions, discuss expectations & goals 

                              Students prepare sack lunches, fill water bottles & get assigned to teams

10:15 AM             Each team leaves to solve their unique environmental problem in the woods

12 noon                LUNCH, Teams come back together and share their working solutions

12:45 PM              School Improvement Plans, each team shares improvements they want to
                                   make at their school, then the entire group brainstorms potential solutions

3:45 PM                Farewell for departing students (complete evaluations)

4 PM                     Phase One ends as students who can't spend the night return home

                              Phase Two:  discuss "low impact camping" and set up camp at the yurt

                               Service Learning Project (maintenance on the Nordic Center's LED solar lighting system)

6 PM                      Dutch Oven dinner (with locally grown food) and special guest speaker presentation

7:30 PM                 Forest hike

9 PM                      Campfire time with eco skits, story telling & charades (& smores)

                               Moon gazing with the Boise Astronomy Society (its just 2 days after the full moon)

11 PM                     Lights Out

Saturday, September 25th

7:30 AM                  Breakfast, prepare lunches & camp clean up

9:30 Am                  Begin climbing to the top of Mores Mountain's summit

12 noon                  LUNCH at the Summit, participants share their Y.E.S. testimonies (these wiil be video recorded)

2 PM                        Return to the Bogus Nordic Center for the Closing Ceremony


Things to Bring

Note:  This list is intended for those students and adults who plan to stay the entire two day period
  • Appropriate school and Y.E.S. release forms signed by a parent or legal guardian
  • Hiking shoes, toiletries, personal medication, small pillow, personal mug, hat, sunscreen
  • Layered clothing for a variety of weather conditions, be prepared for warm to cold, wet to dry
  • Day pack for hikes and everything else in a duffle bag or large backpack
  • Munchies, small notebook & pencil, sorry, but there are no showers available
  • Water bottle, sleeping bag, ground pad, tent (or space in a friend's tent, sorry but no co-ed camping)
  • Munchies, campfire story, environmental challenges at your school, (optional camera & binoculars)
  • ABSOLUTELY NO drugs, alcohol, laptops, cell phones, Ipods, or other electronic devices


Y.E.S. it's definitely time to get up, get out and get connected with nature & others who share your desire to make a difference, because ultimately if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.  Email us at YES@outsideday.org  if you want to bring a group from your high school or simply need more information.