2010 Appalachian Trail Youth Summit

June 28 - July 2

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is looking for twenty club members to attend a Youth Summit in the White Mountains of New Hampshire from June 28 – July 2^nd, 2010  The other participants - thirty adults and thirty youth - will be drawn from ATC staff and youth (aged 17 and under) from the Groundwork “Green Teams” program (www.groundworkhv.org).  If your club would like to participate, please review this message and the sign-up application.  Click for Application Form - Application Form - Applications are due on March 5, 2010.

There is no charge for room, board and training sessions for club members; stipends will be available to help cover travel costs, with priority given to Trail club members who live farthest from the training site.

During the week-long program, while youth and adult participants will work together at times - a Trail project is planned and some training sessions will be attended by both groups - separate sessions will run concurrently for adults and youth.  Adults will attend the Appalachian Mountain Club’s training program for leaders of youth programs.  AMC has run youth crews for several years, and has a great deal of experience working with this age group.  Other topics will include intergenerational volunteering and the Trail to Every Classroom program.

The purpose of the Youth Summit is to develop training, policies and procedures that will help A.T. volunteer managers – primarily in clubs – safely engage youth volunteers on the Appalachian Trail.  It is not just a one-time training session, in other words, but part of process that will help us engage youth volunteers.  Club participation is essential so that training programs are developed and delivered in a way that meets the needs of clubs. 

Club members attending the Youth Summit will be evaluating AMC’s training session and helping ATC to determine if (and how) it should be adapted by ATC to best serve the needs of all Trail clubs.  Club members who attend the Youth Summit will also act as mentors to other members of their clubs interested in working with youth.

Please consider participating in this program – you’ll be helping develop the next generation of A.T. volunteers.

Jeanne Mahoney

Volunteer Resources Coordinator

Appalachian Trail Conservancy

P.O. Box 807

Harpers Ferry, WV 25425

304-535-6331 ext. 107

jmahoney@appalachiantrail.org

Skype name: jeanne.mahoney

www.appalachiantrail.org

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