The Woods Project is a comprehensive program of wilderness education experiences oriented toward the development of life skills in youth from disadvantaged backgrounds.  The Woods Project programming starts in September of each year with selected High School students.  Programming continues through the school year and culminates in intensive summer sessions designed to promote team building, provide physical challenges and opportunities for leadership development.   During the fall and spring, activities include:

• Weekend backpacking, camping and service projects in the national forests and park areas near Houston.  These activities are intended to improve self esteem, self reliance and leadership skills while giving the students a preview of the challenges they will encounter during the summer session.
• Weekly after school Outdoor/Environmental Clubs, hosted at several of our Houston School Partners.  The curriculum for these Clubs promotes a bigger vision of the world and includes projects related to both outdoor and environmental studies.  This program expansion was initiated during the fall of 2009

Building upon the skills developed by our participants during the school year, most will attend a two week outdoor education program at nationally recognized wilderness institutes in locations such as Yosemite National Park, Desolation Wilderness, and the Marin Seashore. These events are led by The Woods Project personnel, in conjunction with staffing from our School Partners and utilize programming developed with our Wilderness Partners.  Activities include intensive backpacking/camping, in-depth study in the sciences, journaling and creative writing. The summer immersion session reinforces the lessons learned during the school year and exposes the students to a wide variety of new experiences that serve to further develop the life skills necessary to function effectively in the college environment and beyond. Some students who exhibit strong leadership development are encouraged to remain in the program to serve as role models for younger students.

The Woods Project is a volunteer led organization.  Our leaders are all certified as outdoor leaders through protocols developed by Houston Inner City Outings.  Leaders join our program out of an intense desire to make a difference in the lives of youth.  The 2009 program included approximately 200 youth participants and 40 adult leaders, with school year and summer programming for students from Houston, TX, Gaston, NC, and San Lorenzo, CA.