We’re thrilled to announce a new partnership with Outward Bound, creating a pilot program called START to help young people experiencing homelessness with critical skills to transition out of homelessness.

See the full press release below!

Minneapolis, MN.  September 18, 2012—YouthLink, a 30 year old non-profit agency in Minneapolis, has been granted money by Hennepin County to create a pilot program for young adults experiencing homelessness.  YouthLink and Outward Bound will partner to impact a co-hort of 10 youth, all between 18 and 23 years old.

The program aims to reach, in new ways, those they saw accessing daytime services and county shelters.  For these youth, who are on the verge of long-term homelessness, this will be a new way to help them reframe and refocus their lives.  Executive Director of YouthLink, Dr. Heather Huseby, said, “We realized after working with this critical group of young people that they needed an opportunity that was different.  We wanted to show them that an experience of homelessness does not define them or their potential.”

The pilot program, Surviving to Thriving: A Real Transition (START), is a partnership designed to nurture confidence, critical thinking skills, compassion, character and leadership, and ultimately, self-reliance.  Eligible participants will have the unique opportunity to learn and connect through wilderness experiences.  These experiences are designed to provide new perspectives and skills for transitioning into a safe and stable lifestyle.  Participants will then partner with a Transitions Coach to identify a more stable, healthy, and balanced way of life.

Commenting on the program, Poppy Potter of Outward Bound said, “Partnering with YouthLink’s START program is an exciting opportunity for the Twin Cities Outward Bound Center. The work the young people will do on trail will make a direct impact for them in their lives.  These participants will learn the power of true collaboration.  They will learn how to effectively communicate their needs and make decisions that work towards specific goals.  They will learn what happens when they push themselves through ‘I can’t,’ to ‘I did and I CAN’.”

About YouthLink

YouthLink builds healthy relationships with youth and the community to address youths’ urgent needs so that doors of opportunity are opened to futures of empowerment, connectedness, and self-reliance.  They serve as a critical resource for homeless, precariously housed and marginalized young people ages 16 to 23 by providing a safe, supportive refuge where youth can find help meeting basic needs.  You can find more information at www.YouthLinkMN.org.

About Outward Bound

Outward Bound is a non-profit educational organization and expedition school that serves people of all ages and backgrounds through active learning experiences and expeditions that inspire character development, self-discovery and service both in and out of the classroom. Outward Bound delivers programs using unfamiliar settings as a way for participants across the country to experience adventure and challenge in a way that helps students realize they can do more than they thought possible. You can find more information at www.outwardbound.org