Team Wilderness grows teamwork, leadership, and character within our urban youth through wilderness excursions.
"Everyone took their experiences and molded it into something extraordinary. For me, I was able to step out of my comfort zone and become a leader."
- Kristine, student
What We Do
Team Wilderness is a nonprofit organization that uses an experiential educational model to teach urban teenagers teamwork, leadership, and character.
The organization helps to promote confidence in youth, consideration for their peers, passion for the world they live in, and resilience both as an individual and a group. Facing physical and social challenges, they learn to adapt and develop real-life problem-solving skills while at the same time overcoming fears and obstacles.
Team Wilderness is the only wilderness experiential education organization offering programs focusing specifically on Hudson County's most underserved youth. Our programs are affordable for all income levels; since they cater to the youth from the community, they help positively impact the community itself.
Team Wilderness allows youth to experience hiking, backpacking and numerous outdoor activities during both single-day and overnight trips. These trips require the commitment and collaboration of the entire team. The students understand that and embrace it. The Team’s adult leaders, and the trip experiences themselves, will cultivate reflection to unearth newfound self-confidence, undiscovered interests and unexplored opportunities.
Who We Serve
100% of participants are residents of New Jersey cities.
It is Team Wilderness policy to serve a minimum of 51% free or reduced lunch population. Typically 80% of our participants fall in this category.
How our participants identify:
42% African American
12% Asian
46% Hispanic
28% Multiple races or other
21% White
Our Values
To achieve our mission we emphasize striving to be E.T.H.I.C.A.L. in the wilderness and reflect on its application to life.
Empathy: Through co-dependence to force youth to develop compassion towards each other.
Teamwork: To understand and embody a positive team culture.
Health: Through mental and physical challenges recognizing what is necessary to be your best self and live a healthy and balanced life.
Inclusive: Through interdependence to learn to value and work to create an environment inclusive of everyone that supports and respects differences.
Community: Understanding social and environmental responsibility.
Adversity: Using a foreign setting to compel youth to challenge themselves mentally and physically resulting in increased self-confidence and self-actualization
Leadership: Out of necessity to demonstrate the ability to collaborate, communicate, problem-solve and resolve conflicts promptly and effectively.
Non-discrimination Policy
Team Wilderness is an inclusive organization that accepts applicants regardless of race, gender, gender expression, culture, religion, sexual orientation, or economic status.