About Us

Climbing for Kids is a fundraising event that supports Bay Area Wilderness Training (BAWT), a non-profit organization that gets at-risk and underprivileged youth outdoors. For every $1,000 you raise, an average of 17 kids will get outside on trips with experienced adults using the best gear in the outdoor industry. In other words, by joining Climbing for Kids you'll be effecting the lives of over 50 kids.

Bay Area Wilderness Training (BAWT) is a project of the Earth Island Institute a 501(c)(3) corporation founded by environmental activist and climber David Brower. Brower's legacy as a climber with hundreds of first ascents on High Sierra peaks is only overshadowed by his legacy as a tireless champion of the environment. Read more about BAWT, Brower, and Earth Island Institute.

Mission Statement

To create opportunities for urban youth to experience wilderness first hand.

Vision Statement

BAWT exists as a vital, comprehensive and ongoing source of support to agencies that lead youth wilderness trips. We believe that urban youth, once exposed to wilderness, have a broadened sense of themselves, each other, and the world around them. BAWT extends it services to the eight counties of the San Francisco Bay Area. We hope other organizations will take this vision to the rest of the country and the larger world.

Primary Strategy

BAWT's primary strategy for achieving its mission is to provide Bay Area 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 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:

• The Association of Experiential Educators
• The Outdoor Industry Association
• The Children & Nature Network