Fund NYC Teens' Wilderness Access Trip

Building off the success of last year's trip, we're fundraising for a second year to give NYC teens an opportunity to experience the wilderness as climate justice education and strengthen their personal connections to nature! The trip will be 5 days of backpacking, camping, hiking, community building, and environmental workshops in Wharton State Forest, NJ. This trip is based out of Sixth Street Community Center's Teen Climate Justice Program , in partnership with YMCA of the Pines.

Last year was our first ever Wilderness Access Trip, and it's not an exaggeration to say it was transformative - by the end of the trip, the teens and adults all felt like a family!

NYC Youth are disproportionately exposed to air, light, and noise pollution and have limited access to green space. When learning about environmental injustices and environmental health, NYC teens deserve the opportunity to experience first hand the natural world all our ecosystems depend on. Public lands advocacy and respect for the wilderness are essential components to climate justice education and empowerment programs.

Our students are climate activists who are leading other urban youth into climate action, however their lack of access to experience nature in the fullest is an equity issue. We are asking for support from those with resources to provide our teens with this incredible opportunity!

Access to the wilderness is limited to those who are within geographical proximity or have time and financial resources to travel outside of urban areas. Access to those resources varies dramatically across the boroughs of New York and we are creating this program to ensure that the teens of New York are exposed to nature like they have never before seen, which can be described as a human right.

This is a 100% free program for teens! For families that are able to contribute, your money will allow teens with less resources to have this experience! For families that can't afford to donate, that will not impact your teen’s ability to still fully be part of this trip!

Contributions will go towards paying the wilderness adventure team at YMCA of the Pines, transportation from NYC to Wharton State Forest NJ, additional gear needed for participants, paying SSCC program staff, and any additional funds raised will roll over to support future climate justice trips for the Teen Climate Justice Program at Sixth Street Community Center.

For teens who are interested in applying, please email: [email redacted] and put "Wilderness Access Trip" in the subject.

Who are we

At Sixth Street Community Center we run a Teen Climate Justice Program where students learn about their health in relation to the environment and advocate for green space, conservation, improved air and water quality, and against development projects that put the communities health and environmental wellness at risk.

Sixth Street Community Center is a community-based not-for-profit organization founded in 1978 and committed to advancing social, environmental, housing, economic and racial justice in the East Village and Lower East Side community. We believe that people of all backgrounds and incomes in New York City have the right to a safe, clean, and healthy environment and have their basic needs met with dignity and respect.

This trip is in partnership with YMCA of the Pines located in the South Jersey Pinelands, offering a 800-acre property and top notch year-round programs offer opportunities for relationship-building, character-strengthening and lifelong learning. Their goal is to help children, teens and families realize their potential and nurture their social-emotional, cognitive and physical development.