REACH at 10 Years: Youth Coming Alive Through Adventure
- Shana Wills
- 2 days ago
- 9 min read
"Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” — Howard Thurman, theologian, philosopher and civil rights leader.
In a year when anti-immigrant rhetoric weighed heavily on families across our country and globe, Refugee Education & Adventure Challenge (REACH) remained rooted in its mission: to give refugee and asylum-seeking youth the chance to live normal childhoods, smile, and come alive. We saw young people take their first bike rides, paddle their first strokes in kayaks and canoes, and find their voices in group circles. We watched them navigate forests with compasses, build fires with flint and steel, and discover strength in belonging.
As naturalist Rachel Carson reminds us: “Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts . . . the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.” In the rhythms of nature, our youth found resilience, joy, and confidence that carried them through a challenging year.
And they did more than endure. They steered. Our Peer Mentors spoke at conferences across Chicago and beyond, designed their own wilderness expeditions, and mentored younger participants at adventure camps. They earned recognition as finalists and honorees for community impact, coaching, and global citizenship awards. They graduated high school and stepped into colleges from Wisconsin to Massachusetts, pursuing cybersecurity and entrepreneurship, and even joined intensive summer programs at MIT.
Their imagination, as naturalist John Muir reminds us, “makes us infinite.” This year, imagination became action: expeditions across deserts and mountains, civic presentations in schools and assemblies, and the everyday moments of refugee youth living the childhoods their families dreamed they would have.
Milestones & Looking Ahead
Thanks to our amazing community, REACH achieved milestones that point toward an even brighter future. Our Summer Adventure Camp 2025 marked the 10th official season of outdoor learning for refugee youth, and this January we will proudly celebrate REACH’s 10-Year Anniversary as a Chicago-based institution.
Although this year has been challenging and, at times, even harsh, we at REACH hold fast to Rachel Carson’s reminder: “Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life.” Her words came alive in the everyday gatherings of our youth, where beauty revealed itself quietly in shared laughter, in the rhythm of paddles across water, and in the simple joy of belonging together.
Summer Adventure Camp 2025
This summer, 96 young people registered, with 65 actively engaged across four weeks of day camp, an overnight trip, and a 4‑day sleepaway camp. Participants ranged in age from 4 to 19 and represented fourteen different countries, from Afghanistan and Eritrea to Venezuela and Ukraine.
Day camps offered archery, biking, canoeing, climbing, fishing, fort building, hiking, and kayaking. STEAM activities included forest restoration, water inventories, habitat assessments, and nature art. At the overnight camping trip, youth set up tents, built campfires, cooked outdoors, and stargazed. The co‑ed sleepaway camp offered a slower pace, including space for swimming, group games, hiking trails, butt surfing waterfalls, and ziplining.
In late spring, dozens of home visits for summer registration revealed the stress and uncertainty families were carrying. One father shared a quiet hope: “I don’t know what is ahead for us, but I do know that I want my children to be safe and smiling this summer despite everything.” That wish echoed throughout the season, as parents sent messages filled with pride and gratitude: “I am thrilled my children are enjoying their summer.” “My kids are experiencing their first childhood and extended fun.” “Fishing? So many amazing memories!” “Thank you, REACH, for everything you do for our kids.”
One father, upon seeing a photo of his child chopping down invasive buckthorn trees, paused and said: “Like me. It was like me when I was small like that. It reminds me of my life. Wow. I am a farmer!” His words captured how camp experiences not only shaped children but also reawakened memories of resilience and connection in their parents.
These messages were more than thank-yous. They were reflections of healing, hope, and the power of shared experience. For many families, this summer marked the beginning of something new: a season of safety, belonging, and childhood reclaimed.
Campers themselves faced fears, embraced successes, and made strong friendships. One 8‑year‑old caught three fish in a single afternoon, his first time holding a fishing pole! Another learned to ride a bike for the first time and by the end of camp was cruising paved trails and pump tracks. Several youths spent their first nights away from home, bravely sleeping in tents, embracing solo night hikes, and stargazing beneath wide‑open skies.
That spirit of courage defined the season. After a round of spooky campfire stories, a young camper stood at the edge of the solo night hike trail — no flashlight, just moonlight and her own heartbeat. She whispered, “I didn’t think I would be brave enough to do it.” But she did. Step by step, she walked the trail alone, listening to coyotes cry in the distance. Later she said, “I couldn’t believe I heard coyotes crying last night.” Across the summer, youth discovered bravery in both small steps and big leaps, floating for the first time, catching seven fish, or soaring across the river on a zipline.
Weekend Adventure Camps & Discovery Quests 2025
In addition to hosting our Weekend Adventure Camps throughout the school year, we launched a new pilot initiative called Discovery Quests from January through May 2025. These programs gave refugee youth opportunities to keep learning, connecting, and building resilience beyond the summer months.
Weekend Adventure Camps are 6‑ to 8‑hour sessions held several times per month, while Discovery Quests were monthly 6‑hour sessions with smaller groups of youth who honed in on specific STEAM skills. As of November, more than 90 youth participated in 18 Weekend Adventure Camps and 5 Discovery Quest sessions.
Activities ranged from ice skating, archery, terrarium making, snowshoeing, and hiking to forest restoration, seed planting, storytelling, and a visit to the Field Museum. Youth also explored 3D field archery, mixed martial arts and self‑defense, outdoor cooking, compass navigation, and campfire building. Peer Mentors led an interactive Nature Navigator event, guiding younger participants through hands‑on exploration.
A highlight of the year was a 2‑day overnight farm camp, where Peer Mentors designed and led a hashing trail through the woods, taught animal chores like feeding goats and chickens and collecting eggs, and modeled healthy cooking and eating. Around the farm, youth discovered new skills and responsibilities, from cracking eggs for breakfast to navigating trails together, while Peer Mentors modeled leadership and care. The farm camp became a place of laughter, courage, and connection, where everyday tasks turned into lessons in resilience and belonging.
Discovery Quests offered deeper dives into physics investigations with towers and bridges, landscape painting, music and rhythm lessons, geological studies of dolomite canyons, and soil preparation at urban gardens. One camper proudly shared, “I never thought I could build a bridge that would hold weight! But we did it together.” Another reflected after snowshoeing, “It felt like walking on clouds.”
Parents echoed gratitude for these year‑round opportunities, noting that the camps gave their children joy, confidence, and a sense of belonging even during a difficult year. One parent summed it up simply: “These weekends give my children something to look forward to, a chance to be happy and free.”
“There is something in every one of you that waits and listens for the sound of the genuine in yourself. It is the only true guide you will ever have.” — Howard Thurman
The Heartbeat of REACH
Our Peer Mentor Leadership Corps 2025 was built on this principle. Youth leaders listened for that “genuine” voice and stepped forward, guiding peers, designing expeditions, and shaping the culture of REACH with courage and authenticity. As our keystone program, the Peer Mentor Corps is the heartbeat of REACH: the place where refugee youth transform from participants into leaders, and where their growth ripples outward to every camp, every expedition, and every family.
So far this year, Peer Mentors participated in 24 trainings and presented at eight public events, from the Friends of the Chicago River's Annual Student Congress and Chicago River Day to the Friends of the Illinois Forest Preserve’s Wild Things Conference and their own Nature Navigator initiative. They engaged in farm camp leadership training, then guided younger youth through animal chores, trail navigation, and healthy cooking. Trainings spanned physical skills like martial arts and bouldering, higher education exposure through a REACH graduate‑led campus tour of Northern Illinois University, and safety certifications such as Wilderness First Aid.
The Corps also embarked on two self‑designed Wilderness Learning Expeditions: a 6‑day journey through Minnesota and South Dakota, and a 10‑day expedition across Nebraska, Colorado, and Utah. Their experiences were extraordinary: tent camping beside alpine lakes in the Rockies, mountain biking the rugged trails of Moab, hiking to the arches of Arches National Park, exploring cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde, and swimming in ice‑cold mountain waterfalls. They slept under desert skies alongside scorpions and snakes, hiked the Badlands, sand‑boarded down the Great Sand Dunes, carried prayer ties to the summit of sacred Black Elk Peak, and descended mountains in pouring rain and hail.
Peer Mentors found joy and growth in unexpected places. One reflected, “The view by the mountain lake was beautiful and the food (we made at camp) was good.” Another shared, “Colorado is beautiful. I really liked the campsite. It was very peaceful and chill. It was cold at night.” And the waterfall brought awe: “I was so excited to see the waterfall because I had never seen a real mountain waterfall before. The water was really cold and everyone was really happy playing together. I love to see everybody happy.”
Long drives sparked deep reflection. “I was thinking very deeply about the things I want to achieve—and how every time I go on a REACH trip I get closer and closer to it.” Shared culture brought joy: “At the campsite, Maryam put on an Arabic song and we all danced.”
Challenges became sources of pride. One Peer Mentor recalled, “It was really hot and there were so many up hills that we had to bike over, but with the people around and their support, I did it to the end.” Another added, “I was a little slow while mountain biking because of the bag I had, but I was still keeping up with the group.”
For many, the mountains themselves were a revelation: “Illinois is a flat state, so this was a new experience. I couldn’t believe the beauty of the mountains because I don’t see that often.” The impact was clear: “On this trip we experienced a lot of things and earned a lot of new things because that is what REACH is about. It teaches us to be the best versions of ourselves and find ways to improve.”
This program highlights more than adventure. It exhibits transformation. Peer Mentors came seeking challenge and left with stories, strength, and a sense of belonging that will carry them far beyond the trail. As the keystone of REACH, their leadership ensures that every younger camper has role models to look up to, every parent sees hope for the future, and every community partner witnesses the power of refugee youth stepping forward with courage and authenticity.
As Howard Thurman reminds us, the world needs people who have come alive, and this year, our youth came alive in countless ways: in their laughter, their courage, and their leadership. Rachel Carson’s assurance that spring follows winter carried us through a year of challenges, and we saw resilience bloom in every campfire, every first paddle stroke, every new voice raised in confidence. And John Muir’s vision that imagination makes us infinite was realized in expeditions across deserts and mountains, in civic presentations that reached new audiences, and in the everyday creativity of refugee youth shaping their own paths. Together, these voices remind us that REACH’s mission is not only about survival, but about joy, renewal, and boundless possibility.
“The sun shines not on us but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us.” — John Muir
Thanks to our supporters (donors, partners, staff, volunteers, community members), REACH’s work continues to flow through the lives of refugee youth — in every campfire, every expedition, every award, and every new chapter of education. Together, we are celebrating ten years of resilience, belonging, and imagination without limits.
With gratitude,
Shana Wills
Executive Director & Founder
Refugee Education & Adventure Challenge (REACH)
10 years strong: refugee youth connecting, leading, and transforming through outdoor learning, nature stewardship, and adventure challenges.