YEP, We're Together! Spotlight on Youth Excellence Project

Outside Perspectives has partnered with The Youth Excellence Project since 2015. They have brought countless kids out on transformative wilderness expeditions, year after year, and witnessed the positive effects on the youth who benefit from this partnership. We want to Spotlight YEP and why working together just makes sense.

The inspiration for The Youth Excellence Project (YEP), came to Damion Grasso after a friend and fellow foster parent took a group of foster children out to Montana. The intention of the trip was to immerse the kids in the great outdoors—to encourage them to open up to new experiences in beautiful natural surroundings (sound familiar?). The experience was so impactful for one boy that he would eventually go on to pursue a career with the National Parks Service. For one young life, a new trajectory had been illuminated by this group trip, and Damion saw life-changing potential in the opportunity to plant the seeds of aspiration and resilience in groups of at-risk teens by exposing them to novel environments and situations.

As a foster parent and clinical researcher in the field of foster care and childhood adversity, Damion had observed that by the time a boy growing up "in the system" had reached his teens, he was likely to have made countless fresh starts over the years. Relationships, cohorts, home placements, and programs are all liable to change or end, sometimes unexpectedly, leaving too many at-risk young people in need of reliable constants in their lives. The Youth Excellence Project, or YEP, was launched to meet that need, providing weekly group mentoring (and regular outdoor recreational trips) to establish and sustain stable long-term relationships built on mutual trust, respect, and support. 

For the kids at YEP, getting an Outside Perspective means that they can access an opportunity to take some time away from the challenges of their day-to-day lives, whether it be conflict at home, stress at school, or an overabundance of screen time. Damion has found that YEP participants really benefit from the group work that OP's amazing instructors facilitate while on an expedition. There is tremendous value in experiences that empower a group of young people to work, think, and learn together, as they also learn to trust and rely upon themselves and one another while taking on new challenges. Damion has also witnessed tangible mental health benefits from bringing kids out to unfamiliar and awe-inspiring natural surroundings for a change of scenery.

By supporting our mission you are supporting our ability to inspire awe, bolster relationships, and open the door to new experiences for the kids who participate in YEP and our other incredible partner programs. We are grateful for our partnerships and for your support, and we are looking forward to another incredible year making this programming accessible for kids who might not otherwise get the opportunity.

You can listen to Damion Grasso, Founder and Director of YEP, talk about what YEP is all about and the impact of the work we do together, while getting a sneak peek into how the kids spend their time outside! Hang on to the end and hear the kids talk about why they feel getting outdoors is so important!