Wilderness Youth Project

Wilderness Youth Project Wilderness Youth Project (WYP) connects kids to nature in small groups guided by mentors year-round. This means far more than "equal opportunity" to us.

VISION

WYP envisions teaching the next generation to be peaceful, respectful and confident stewards of our world. We believe that outdoor time and caring mentors provide the essential nutrients children need. CORE VALUES

INCLUSIVENESS (East) We believe a connection with Nature is needed by everyone and for this reason we are committed to making our programs available to all children by bridging

socioeconomic or cultural barriers. Inclusiveness requires an active effort on our part to create and maintain overlap between WYP culture and the cultures that contain and surround us. In this way, our programs are nourished by diverse perspectives and our entire community benefits from the teachings we offer. NATURE MENTORING (South)
We use tools called "Coyote Mentoring" and "The Eight Shields Model" to engage people in place-based education and deepen their relationship with nature. Our curriculum includes naturalist and survival skills, animal tracking, edible and medicinal plants, and interpreting bird language. Our students are immersed in nature, utilizing all of their senses. We maintain a low student to teacher ratio of 4:1 to facilitate individual mentoring. Nature Mentoring develops stewards, mentors, and leaders who will foster sustainability for humanity and the earth. COMMUNITY (West)
We nurture an awareness of the vital interdependence of nature, community, and self. We encourage genuine relationships, service to community, and a lifestyle in rhythm with nature. PEACEMAKING (North)
We strive to begin our interactions with thanksgiving. We have a commitment to cultivate peace in ourselves and to communicate honestly and clearly. In this way, we steward the earth and our children toward peace and well-being of body, mind, sand spirit.

Your Gift. Tripled. Through June 5.Right now, your gift can go 3X as far to help children trade worry for wonder, connec...
06/02/2026

Your Gift. Tripled. Through June 5.

Right now, your gift can go 3X as far to help children trade worry for wonder, connection, confidence, and time outdoors.

A group of 13 caring community members has come together to triple every dollar you donate, up to $61,161, through June 5.

$450 = one full scholarship

Don’t miss your chance to make three times the difference this summer.

Give today: www.wyp.org/donate

05/31/2026

On June 3rd, SURFILMUSIC will have its California Premiere in Santa Barbara. There will NOT be tickets for sale for this event. You can win tickets to the event by:

🔊Listening to KJEE or KTYD
📼Purchasing the soundtrack LP at local record stores including Boo Boos in San Luis Obispo or Salzers in Ventura and more
🏄Visiting your local surf shop in SB including A-Frame, Channel Islands, Mollusk and more
🎙️Head to Restaurant Roy singer songwriter night in SB, tonight, Thursday!
🌎Follow All At Once and all our local Non-Profit partners including; Surfrider SB, Explore Ecology, Sea League, Gaviota Coast Conservancy, Heal the Ocean, Wilderness Youth Project, Community Environmental Council, Food For Thought Ojai, SB Bucket Brigade, Environmental Defense Center, Santa Barbara Channelkeeper and UCSB Edible Campus Program, comment -SB for a chance to win tickets.

Check the comments on this post as we add more places and ways for fans to get in!

Photo Tahnei Roy

672 children will come to camp this summer.More than half need scholarships to attend.$450 gives one child a full schola...
05/29/2026

672 children will come to camp this summer.
More than half need scholarships to attend.
$450 gives one child a full scholarship.
Together, we must raise $152,880 by June 5, 2026.

Your gift means a child can show up, belong, and not be left out. You can help them be outside this summer. Together.

🌐Donate today: wyp.org/donate

672 niños asistirán al campamento este verano.
Más de la mitad necesita becas para asistir.
$450 brinda a un niño una beca completa.
Juntos, debemos recaudar $152,880 antes del 5 de junio de 2026.

Su donación significa que un niño puede participar, pertenecer y no quedarse fuera. Usted puede ayudarles a estar al aire libre este verano. Juntos.

🌐Done hoy: wyp.org/donate

Have you ever sat in nature quietly? 🌿At WYP, children are invited to find a sit spot and quietly observe the world arou...
05/22/2026

Have you ever sat in nature quietly? 🌿At WYP, children are invited to find a sit spot and quietly observe the world around them. Fifteen minutes of peace can change everything.

For some children, even sitting in silence is new. But slowly, they breathe. They settle. They feel what it’s like not to worry.

Give the gift of finding your own peace in nature: wyp.org/donate.

¿Alguna vez se ha sentado en la naturaleza en silencio? 🌿 En WYP, se invita a los niños a encontrar un “sit spot” y observar tranquilamente el mundo a su alrededor. Quince minutos de paz pueden cambiarlo todo.

Para algunos niños, incluso sentarse en silencio es algo nuevo. Pero poco a poco, respiran. Se tranquilizan. Sienten lo que es no preocuparse.

Ofrezca el regalo de encontrar su propia paz en la naturaleza: wyp.org/donate.

05/19/2026

Love to see this remix en español from our friends Alphabet Rockers!

05/16/2026

Happy National Swim Day! 🏊this spring break, we collaborated with for Big Blue Bridge which teaches children how to swim. 79% of kids in low-income households can’t swim. In households earning under $50,000, nearly 4 in 5 children have few to no swimming skills. Cost is a barrier. Big Blue Bridge removes that.

¡Feliz Día Nacional de la Natación! 🏊Estas vacaciones de primavera, colaboramos con para Big Blue Bridge, que enseña a los niños a nadar. El 79 % de los niños de los hogares de bajos ingresos no saben nadar. En los hogares que ganan menos de 50.000 dólares, casi 4 de cada 5 niños tienen pocas o ninguna habilidad para nadar. El costo es una barrera. Big Blue Bridge elimina eso.

#805

💞Carlos found something powerful: belonging.At camp, he reconnected with a mentor who understood him. He laughed, explor...
05/15/2026

💞Carlos found something powerful: belonging.

At camp, he reconnected with a mentor who understood him. He laughed, explored, and shared a moment of pure joy in nature. Free from stress and uncertainty.

This is what your support makes possible. Give today at wyp.org/donate.

💞Carlos encontró algo poderoso: pertenencia.

En el campamento, se reconectó con una mentora que lo entendía. Rió, exploró y vivió un momento de alegría en la naturaleza. Libre de estrés e incertidumbre.

Esto es lo que su apoyo hace posible. Done hoy en wyp.org/donate.

🤝🏽Some kids are carrying more than we see.They worry about food, money, school, and their families... while still trying...
05/08/2026

🤝🏽Some kids are carrying more than we see.

They worry about food, money, school, and their families... while still trying to just be kids. When worry is constant, it becomes hard to learn, connect, or feel at ease.

You can help change that. Help them find connection.

🤝🏽Algunos niños cargan más de lo que vemos.

Se preocupan por la comida, el dinero, la escuela y sus familias—y aun así intentan ser niños. Cuando la preocupación es constante, es difícil aprender, conectar o sentirse en calma.

Usted puede ayudar a cambiar esto. Ayúdeles a encontrar conexión.

Before we led programs, we were the kids who needed them. 
Curious. Adventurous. Still becoming. 👶 
These throwbacks rem...
05/05/2026

Before we led programs, we were the kids who needed them. 
Curious. Adventurous. Still becoming. 👶 
These throwbacks remind us why this work matters. 
We’re a little late to this trend (on brand), but these photos say it all. 
Can you recognize your favorite WYP staff? 

Antes de dirigir programas, éramos los niños que los necesitaban.
Curiosos. Aventureros. Siempre en crecimiento. 👶
Estas fotos del pasado nos recuerdan por qué este trabajo importa.
Llegamos un poco tarde a esta tendencia (muy en nuestro estilo), pero estas fotos lo dicen todo.
¿Puede reconocer a su miembro favorito del personal de WYP?

#805

05/03/2026

how we imagine the woolly bears sound when we move them from the trail to their flowers 🐛Cómo imaginamos el sonido de las orugas osos lanudos cuando los movemos del sendero a sus flores

Address

2040 Alameda Padre Serra, Suite 224
Santa Barbara, CA
93103

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4pm
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

(805) 964-8096

Website

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