New Partnerships & National Associations - April, 2024

We’ve been busy! We continue to work with the North Chicago School District to expand their Voyage programs, and will serve up to 9 groups of their students this year. In addition to this growing partnership, we plan to add two to four new partners this year. We are already in meetings and submitting proposals.

Chicago Voyagers is thrilled to announce grant awards over the last several months from new funding partners including Beyond Sport Foundation, Andrew Family Foundation, and - most recently - the Hunter Family Foundation. These funds provide critical additional support for our Voyage programs and will help expand our adventure therapy services to additional program youth. We thank these organizations for their support and commitment to youth development.

We also want to spotlight that Bernie (Executive Director) and Jesy (Director of Programs) have assumed leadership roles in national Adventure Therapy/Experiential Education associations. We are so proud to have them represent us in national conversations!

2023 Year-in-Review - February 2024

The results are in: 2023 was another meaningful, fun-filled year at Chicago Voyagers. Over the course of 165 program days, Chicago Voyagers served 215 youth; 95% came from low-income households, 80% identified as BIPOC, and 32% had special education needs. 

At Chicago Voyagers, we strive to support teens in achieving positive outcomes. While our research shows that our program youth trend toward improved grades and lower disciplinary actions at school, other outcomes, while not as tangible, are no less important. As a summer program partner reported after a weekend camping program:

"One young man who is on the quieter side stepped up and (as the oldest) used his voice/experience/expertise to guide and help younger folks understand what to do. Other students challenged themselves to push through new experiences."

And from a leader in our Voyage program, where groups of teens work together across multiple years:

"They've opened up a lot more since my first trip with them last summer. They are a lot more comfortable with each other and in their own skins. They also seem more comfortable having conversations with other adults."

As we reflect on the successes of 2023, we can't help but feel excited about what the future holds for our youth. We cannot wait to see what this year brings!

Published Research Supports CV’s Work - July 2023

Chicago Voyagers’ Executive Director Bernie Rupe was recently published in the Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education, and Leadership for his contributions to the paper “Positive Youth Development and Adventure Therapy with Underserved Youth: An Evaluation of the Chicago Voyagers Program.”

Chicago Voyagers uses the outdoors as a tool to utilize and introduce best practices from the fields of neuroscience, social work, and clinical psychology. Through the use of student surveys like the Positive Youth Development Inventory (PYDI), we know that our participants show strong increases in competence, confidence, and sense of character.

Bernie provided the data from the PYDI surveys to be used in the study. Research findings support the use of adventure therapy for promoting protective factors with underserved youth who face adversity, and suggest that programs such as Chicago Voyagers should be considered as a way to foster Positive Youth Development among underserved youth who have experienced chronic exposure to trauma.

Check out the entire article, available here!

running strong with oneness - June 2023

For the second consecutive year, Chicago Voyagers has had the honor of partnering with Oneness Run in a charitable 5K race. The mission of Oneness Run is to promote wellness for all through a healthy and active lifestyle by encouraging physical activity, developing awareness of good nutrition, and supporting mission-driven and inclusive community causes.

This year, roughly 100 participants completed the 5K course on the beautiful summer morning of June 10th, including a couple of our own staff members. Because of the generous support Oneness Run received through their race participants, sponsors, and partners, Chicago Voyagers gratefully received a check for $5000.00! A big thank you goes out to all Oneness Run participants and partners - whether you ran, walked, or contributed your time and funding, we are humbled to receive such a high level of support and camaraderie again this year. Congratulations to everyone who crossed that finish line!

For more event day photos, including some awesome pictures of the Kiddie Dash following the main race, please visit the race photo album.

gratefully Looking ahead to 2023 - December 2022

It is hard to believe yet another year is coming to a close. It seems like just yesterday we were welcoming you into our new facility, and now our space is lived in and feels like home. New staff and board members have quickly become old friends. Together we’ve celebrated great milestones, such as completing our 100,000th program hour since our founding in 2008. Through our 20+ partnerships, we served hundreds of Voyagers this year, guiding them through trails, water, rock formations, and their own personal hurdles. 

In the year ahead we will continue our growth with the launch of seven new Voyage programs with North Chicago High School, made possible by our friends at the Steans Family Foundation. Each of these programs will include eight young people who will join the program while they are in middle school and continue until their graduation from high school. This will give the participants a chance to continually build and test the skills they utilize both outdoors and in their real lives.

So as we close out 2022, we are hopeful and ready for the year ahead. We hope you’ll stick with us for everything that is to come.

WE LOVE SPECIAL GUESTS! - OCTOBER 2022

This summer, Chicago Voyagers was delighted to take a special guest along on a Colorado hiking expedition. Dan Coyne is a licensed clinical social worker with over 20 years of private and public school experience–and a beloved member of our Board of Directors. Dan is a big fan of nature, and serves several organizations that introduce outdoor fun to children and families–so serving Chicago Voyagers is a natural fit for him. In addition to serving on our board, Dan is a Wilderness Wind committee member and camp volunteer.

While a large part of being a board member is focusing on high-level strategy, oversight, and accountability of the organization, we are so grateful to have board members that love opportunities to interact with the kids we serve. They love to witness firsthand what these kids can achieve, while also reinforcing the importance of their own roles within the organization. We look forward to the next adventure with Dan and other board members.

LEADING THE PACK - JULY 2022

Recently we had a high school student who completed a Journey Program with Chicago Voyagers. During the first few programs he hung towards the back, rarely voicing his thoughts, engaging minimally during team building games, and speaking only with a couple of close friends. However, he didn’t stay quiet for long.

The turning point came during a mountain biking trip at Palos Forest Preserve when he volunteered to lead the group on a six-mile ride through a rather challenging trail. Throughout the ride, he engaged meaningfully with the group, waited for other riders to catch up, asked about everyone’s energy and water levels, strategized about what routes to take, and continually gave advice and encouragement. Exhausted by the end of the ride with a smile on his face, he said "I wish I could do that every day, it's a lot more fun than biking in the city."

This is exactly what we hope to see from participants in our programs: a tremendous amount of growth in both confidence and engagement. Teachers of this participant reported that he was engaging more in class discussions and opening up about his home life. His enthusiasm and leadership continued on into the next program, where he helped to teach canoe strokes and encouraged all the boats to stay together.

Too Cold for Adventure? Never. - February 2022

We are often asked what Chicago Voyagers does to pass time in the winter; cold, snowy Chicagoland from December to March must not scream adventure to many people. It doesn’t stop us though! We offer adventure therapy year-round to youth, equipping them with the skills they need for a successful life.

As we get into the colder months, some of our programs move indoors. In our indoor high ropes and climbing program, youth challenge themselves to work with partners on a high ropes course. There is also an opportunity to try a climbing wall, climbing tower, and trust jump. This is a great program to work on trust and pushing oneself to accomplish more than you think. We still offer many outdoor activities as well. Most recently, Voyagers challenged themselves with cross country skiing, and explored their way through Deer Grove Forest Preserve on a snowy hike. Bundle up and get outside if you can!

WE HAVE A NEW HOME! - OCTOBER 2021

In July 2021, Chicago Voyagers moved into our new office in Schaumburg, Illinois. The space includes 2,200 square feet of offices, meeting rooms, and training space—perfect for kicking off adventures and team-building activities with our youth!—as well as 2,800 square feet of storage space which will house all of CV’s adventure supplies and equipment. Stay tuned for more updates as we set up the space and welcome our participants into our new program home!

SMOOTH (and not so smooth) SAILING - July 2021

This year, Chicago Voyagers has taken full advantage of its expanded sailing program. One of our recent Journey Programs with Neal Math & Science Academy included an eventful sailing program.

Youth in this particular Journey Program were broken up into two groups, affectionately named the Defenders and the Goobers. Each group had quite different sailing experiences, but both provided important learning opportunities. For the Defenders, it was smooth sailing, as the excursion took place on a beautiful day when the waters were calm. Two kids, who are often more timid in the group, had the chance to steer (or helm) the sailboat, which was a highly empowering experience for them. All of the other Defenders had the chance to maneuver the bow to turn the boat (known as tacking). The group had many great conversations out on the water and enjoyed the opportunity to reflect and connect.

The sailing experience for the Goobers was a bit more challenging. The day they went out, it was much windier with three-foot swells. The conditions were not ideal. Most of the youth were too nervous to participate in the sailing, but they felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment just going out on the water and overcoming their fear. Although the excursion lasted only 40 minutes (due to safety), the kids rose to the occasion and demonstrated resilience by helping the team leaders who were manning the sailboat. When the Goobers got back to shore, they reflected on the day and ultimately felt invigorated by the experience. They discussed the concept of success, which has been a consistent theme over the whole Journey Program, and agreed that success was defined by effort, not necessarily outcome. 

Voyagers Champions - June 2021

Last month, over twenty youth and adult volunteers gathered in Wayne, Illinois, for a day of environmental stewardship and fellowship. And what a day it was! 

A partnership between Chicago Voyagers, Youth Crossroads, and the Wayne Area Conservancy Foundation, our goal was to connect new board members, David Saunders, Lynn Stachura, Sadiki McCalla, and Silvia Grabacki, to our mission and youth while caring for the environment..

Program leader, Amos Pomp, kicked off the morning with an ice breaker designed to get youth and adults from these three organizations interacting and strategizing through play.  Laughter and smiles erupted as volunteers attempted to defy the windy conditions by transferring a ball from one team’s blanket to the other without touching the ball.   

The real work began as adults and youth began clearing invasive species from a parcel of wooded land recently donated to the Wayne County Conservancy.  Within just a couple of hours, the group amassed two large burn piles of Buckthorn, hemlock, and honey suckle, clearing the way for outdoor enthusiasts to access the emerging trails and enjoy regional plant life including Blue Bells, Trillium, and Buttercups.  Way to go Voyagers’ youth and board members!