Create Something Bold: Introducing Custom Group Programs!
We’re excited to announce a new dedicated page on our website for custom group programming! While Bold Earth has been crafting customized group trips for years, we’re now making it even easier for schools and organizations to explore these opportunities. Our teen adventure roster expands beyond our domestic and international summer adventures to include year-round possibilities for tailored group experiences.
5 Reasons to Go Custom
1. Take learning outside the classroom
Our camping trips in the United States offer the chance for your classroom lessons to be augmented in the field. Imagine your class rock climbing sandstone walls in Utah as a culminating experience after a semester studying geology or hiking through giant sequoias after researching their ecological strategies. The combination of classroom learning and hands-on experience is a recipe for wonder. Cooking, camping, and spending long days playing outside make it a fully immersive experience. Nature makes for an excellent co-teacher.
No matter what the objective, kindness wins
2. Celebrate an end-of-year retreat
A retreat is a great way to honor the accomplishments of a group that has been working hard to reach their academic goals. Whether you’ve got a graduating class of middle schoolers or a college-bound group of seniors, an end-of-year retreat spent hiking in Yosemite and sleeping under the stars is a perfect environment to make memories. Students get to try new activities together, from canyoneering to whitewater rafting, and learn how to relate in a context different from home.
3. Bring kids outside the comfort zone
Bold Earth specializes in creating an environment of challenge by choice. We believe in fostering resilience by allowing our students to problem-solve creatively. Encountering challenge is a normal part of any custom program and provides a healthy platform for kids to express their self-determination. A group custom program is the perfect place for students to reach a little further while being celebrated for who they are. We want kids to feel comfortable being themselves so that they can stretch their comfort zone in other ways.
Experience-based judgement is what keeps us safe
4. Initiate a rite of passage
A group custom program could be the start of a beloved tradition. It can be tricky to find meaningful ways for students to meet challenge in a safe and supportive environment. Our trip leaders act as role models, guides, and facilitators to do just that. They give students autonomy and responsibility during the trip, allowing them to have agency over their adventure. Full participation in a group program also means taking accountability for when things go wrong. We foster a culture of speaking openly about our feelings and providing a safe space to process failure. Some of the most profound student experiences are forged through trying difficult things and the bonds of connection made with their group mates.
5. Build something new together
These programs are designed to leave space for creativity and connection. We want your experience to be as unique as your group. Your ideas, visions, and input are how we create the framework for your custom group program. The individual personalities and passions of your students are what piece together the mosaic of the trip. Your students will play a large role in how their adventure evolves. Their relationships, to themselves and each other, are what they’ll ultimately take away.
How Does it Work?
The first step to creating your custom group program is to request a program proposal. Using this form, you can tell us about yourself, what school or organization you represent, and what kind of trip you might be looking for. This kicks off the conversation and allows us to present you with the best options to fit your vision. The custom group program process is a collaboration, from start to finish. We love hearing about what you hope to get out of the Bold Earth experience with your students or group members. Using our adventure planning experience, we aim to meet your group’s unique set of needs and journey together through the logistical process.
Wonderful experience from initial planning all the way through the execution of the trip. Josh and Hayley are wonderful to work with and were willing to accommodate our group’s needs, and help guide us through the process to make sure we got the best possible trip planned. The trip leaders, Casey and Roo, were amazing! They had a great plan for each day and communicated it with me to get any input I might have. They had the kids engaged the entire time and made the trip an absolute blast! –Trey Leonard, Educator
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request your
program proposal
The custom group program process is a collaboration from start to finish. We love hearing about what you hope to get out of the Bold Earth experience.