The Mountaineers Programs
The Mountaineers cultivates a corps of 1,000 active, trained volunteers who lead or instruct more than 3,200 courses and activities annually. We get people outside by providing programs that are designed to engage people in a lifetime of outdoor pursuits. Our course instruction is integrated with training in low-impact recreation techniques, education in conservation and public lands management issues, and stewardship opportunities.
In 2010, The Mountaineers launched its Youth and Family Initiative, an innovative effort to engage all people in the outdoors and develop sustainable programs for youth and families. Youth programs encompass a suite of opportunities, the centerpiece being Mountain Workshops. These are delivered in partnership with local elementary schools and community youth organizations such as foster care and sheltering organizations, Boys and Girls Clubs, and YMCAs. The program serves youth ages 4-16 and includes a flexible curriculum that integrates active participation in an outdoor recreation skill with instruction focused on outdoor safety and appreciation for the natural environment.
The Mountaineers established Mountaineers Books to share its love of the outdoors with the publication of Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills. Today, with more than 500 titles in print, Mountaineers Books -- along with its Skipstone and Braided River imprints -- publishes a variety of outdoor recreation, sustainable lifestyle, and conservation advocacy books, including many award winners. Whether you're into outdoor activities, living a healthy lifestyle, or concerned about being a good steward of the environment, Mountaineers Books has the information you need to guide you on your next journey.
Recent Successes and Current Challenges
The Mountaineers Youth Programs have an outdoor education and life-skills building focus and have shown promising results in introducing young people to the benefits of outdoor recreation, including improved health, confidence, self-reliance and perseverance. Fueled by generous private support and over 2,600 volunteer hours, we grew our youth programs by over 80% in 2012 to offer 2,340 youth experiences to 920 young people! But, we have so much more to do. Outdoor participation is declining among kids, but research shows that positive outdoor experiences during childhood can generate a lifelong appreciation for the outdoors. We believe that successful conservation depends on appreciation, so that connection is vital. Support of The Mountaineers Youth and Volunteer Programs will help us create the next generation of outdoor citizens.
With the release of the "Legends & Lore" series, Mountaineers Books commits to keeping alive mountaineering literature's most seminal works. While some libraries and personal collections retain significant mountaineering books, Legends & Lore insures that mountaineering literature will be widely available for everyone to access. Jim Whittaker, the first American to summit Everest, explained the importance of retaining these written stories when he said, "As a mountaineer, you climb on the shoulders of your predecessors." Support of Mountaineers Books Legends & Lore series will ensure that the mountaineers of the world never forget whose shoulders helped lift to higher places all those who came before them.