The Catamount Institute is excited to announce the fourth year of the Building Outdoor Leaders Today (BOLT) program! We have 13 slots open! This is a FREE program. By partnering with local organizations, this program provides exceptional experiences for teens in Colorado Springs to explore the outdoors.
Mission
We aim to create a positive experience for high school students to connect to the outdoors. Teens will develop leadership skills through outdoor recreation, environmental stewardship, and career exploration.
DEI Statement
We believe that the outdoors is a space for ALL people and recognize the barriers in place that limit people from outdoor recreation. The BOLT staff acknowledges the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion and has created a program that will uphold those values to support all individuals in their pursuits of outdoor experiences. We are committed to building a welcoming program regardless of race, ability, orientation, class, or creed. Therefore, we acknowledge that the land we recreate on and with are the ancestral lands of the Ute, Jicarilla Apache, and the Cheyenne Arapaho. Colorado is ancestrally tied to 48 nations, tribes, bands, and villages. We share this statement to honor and respect Native and Indigenous peoples and to include this respect in our programs.
What does it mean to recreate in the outdoors?
All BOLT partners are proud members of the Colorado State-led Generation Wild of the Pikes Peak Region Coalition. With that, we all embody and acknowledge the importance of getting outdoors at all ages. Going outdoors can be anything from enjoying your backyard to hanging out with family and friends at a local park or to hiking to the summit of a mountain. We want to allow the youth in our community to feel confident, welcomed, and safe in all of our outdoor spaces.
BOLT is one way our organizations are building a bridge to outdoor opportunities in our local community for teens. We will meet each and every participant where they are at, ensuring a safe, positive outdoor experience.
BOLT has two main components
1. Local Saturday programs
2. Spring Break Monday - Friday overnight camp
Curriculum & Activities: Recreating in the outdoors
- Camping
- Leave No Trace
- Team building
- Wilderness survival
- Outdoor cooking
- Leadership skills
- Hiking
- Ecological restoration
- Environmental science
- Water conservation
- Environmental stewardship
- Shelter building
- Wilderness first aid
Saturday Programs
Catamount Institute will host 6 Saturday programs. These sessions are an opportunity for the participants to gain confidence in themselves and their ability to recreate in the outdoors, to connect with their peers, and to build a relationship with the staff. We aim to give students the tools they need to succeed in and outside the classroom. The curriculum is designed to complement the program's goals and offer activities teens voiced interest in through a locally based survey.
In addition, during these programs, participants can engage with professionals in the community. The BOLT partners and guest speakers are a great resource for letters of recommendation, internship opportunities, and professional development guidance. Previous BOLT participants have asked the staff to write letters of recommendation, have been hired as an intern, and have volunteered with local organizations outside the program. All staff members are certified as Trusted Adults and aim to be role models for each of the participants who join the program.
Spring Break Camp
Monday, March 25 - Friday, March 29, the BOLT participants will embark on a new and exciting adventure at the YMCA's Shady Brook Camp! Just an hour from Colorado Springs, participants will sleep in tents, go backpacking, and engage in outdoor recreation at a hight! From ropes courses to zip lines, the week will be filled with opportunities for outdoor and self-exploration.
No gear? No problem!
To ensure all participants have a positive experience, any needed gear, such as hiking shoes, headlamps, and coats, will be provided.
The Benefits of BOLT
- Internship opportunities
- Personally and professional development opportunities
- Positive Adult Role Models
- Letters of recommendation
- Opportunities to go outdoors and experience the many benefits
“The BOLT program builds more than just leaders. Individuals who participate in the program take away beautiful memories from once in a lifetime activities and experiences.” - Senior, Harrison High School
“I honestly did not think that I would come out of this program as a different person but it has impacted and changed my life.” - Senior, TESLA High School
“I knew I loved nature, but I gained a new respect and love for it as I went along through the program.” - Junior, Palmer High School
Requirements:
- Residents in South East Colorado Springs
- Freshman - Seniors
- Attendance at all of programs
- Ability and willingness to communicate with staff prior to programs
- Abide by local health protocols
- Parent/guardian consent