About Us
What is Climbing for Kids?
Climbing for Kids is a fundraising challenge that supports Bay Area Wilderness Training (BAWT), a non-profit organization that gets at-risk and underprivileged youth out of the city and into the wild. BAWT is a project of the Earth Island Institute, a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation founded by environmental activist and climber David Brower.
By joining Climbing For Kids, for every $1,000 you raise, an average of 17 kids will have the unique opportunity to enjoy the wilderness with experienced adult trip leaders and top of the line outdoor gear. Best of all you’ll be making a serious difference in the lives of Bay Area children, many of whom have had little sustained contact with the natural environment.
BAWT’s Mission Statement
To create opportunities for urban youth to experience wilderness first hand.
Vision Statement
BAWT serves as a vital, comprehensive and ongoing source of support for various organizations that lead youth wilderness trips. We believe that urban youth should have the same oppportunties as other children to enjoy and thrive in the wilderness. Further, we believe that exposure to the wilderness allows children to have a broader sense of themselves and their world by opening up new horizons.
BAWT currently serves the nine counties of the San Francisco Bay Area. We hope other organizations will take our vision and provide our sorts of services to under-served children in the rest of the state, the country and across the world.
Primary Strategy
BAWT’s primary strategy for achieving its mission is to provide Bay Area teachers and youth agency staff with wilderness leadership training and outdoor equipment so that they, along with the youth they serve, may explore the power and beauty of California’s wilderness.
Values Statement
With this vision and strategy in mind, BAWT has developed a set of four core values:
1. Diversity – We seek to promote a diverse community of environmental educators.
2. Risk – We foster the virtues of positive, calculated risk taking.
3. Environmental Stewardship – We honor and protect the earth.
4. Relationships – We nurture a culture of learning through relationships.
BAWT is a proud member of:
