What Happens When Youth Lead Youth - New pathways to success can unfold from the simplest things, like kayaking!
Creating Opportunities for Black and Brown Students: Why CatRock's Programming is Critical for Success
How CatRock Changes Perspectives — In More Ways Than One
Jay Peak Leadership Summit Provides Invaluable Growth Opportunities for Youth
Finding Courage within Community
A Mini-Family, a Home Away from Home
One Community Empowers Her in Others
How a CatRock Education Changed a Life
CatRock Co-Founder Shares His Passion for the Outdoors with Bronx Youth
My CatRock Trip to Montana — Falling in Love with the Wilderness
A Shy, Self-conscious Teen Found Her Voice at CatRock
Joining CatRock Was The Best Decision I Ever Made
Finding His Future on a Mountain Trail
CatRock Rallies Through Covid Spring with Inspired Virtual Programming
STORIES OF IMPACT | Andrew C.
Creating Opportunities for Black and Brown Students: Why CatRock's Programming is Critical for Success
At Health Opportunities High School in the Bronx, Principal Andrew Clayman faces a difficult decision: selecting only ten students to participate in the CatRock Youth Leadership Academy program. “In my ideal world, all of my students would be able to participate in CatRock's programming,” Principal Clayman says. “Instead of sending only ten kids each year, everyone would get to experience it. It's really tough when my sophomores have had an amazing time and then want to go back in their junior year, but I have to consider giving the opportunity to someone who hasn't had the experience yet. It's a tough decision to make.”
The impact of CatRock's programming on Principal Clayman's students has been profound. Most of his students have limited outdoor exposure, but the CatRock program provides a much-needed outdoor experience, while also offering leadership training and relationship building opportunities. “It's not just about getting kids outdoors; it's about leadership training and relationship building,” Principal Clayman explains. “You have to put your trust in someone else when you're putting a tent together, paddling a canoe, or encouraging each other on the slopes.” He also notes the importance of providing students with the opportunity to work with mentors from different professions and backgrounds.
Through CatRock's programming, students develop conflict resolution skills, which can be a challenge in traditional school settings. Principal Clayman notes that, “Conflicts occur in life, but at CatRock, the frequency of conflicts is much lower and the skills used to navigate the conflict are much more mature.”
“Conflicts occur in life, but at CatRock, the frequency of conflicts is much lower and the skills used to navigate the conflict are much more mature.”
Principal Clayman has also seen the impact that CatRock has had on his students in terms of developing self-confidence and resilience. “When you try something new, like snowboarding, it takes time to learn, but you eventually see yourself progress and realize it's not so different from academics or other skills. This gives students the realization that even if they're not where they want to be, they can get there with hard work. This is incredibly impactful in terms of a young person's long-term prospects.”
CatRock's programming creates a pipeline of program alumni who return to CatRock – either as part-time program staff or seasonal employees to co-lead field activities and mentor current students who come from the same communities as them. Principal Clayman notes that “Students like Ray and Ixza, who work at CatRock as Youth Leadership Academy alumni, were some of my students. So, the CatRock community continues to support itself.”
Principal Clayman believes that CatRock’s programming is critical for his students. “I think of it primarily in terms of opportunities that everyone should have, especially Black and Brown students in the Bronx. They don't have these opportunities due to their zip code. As a school leader, I am trying to create opportunities. CatRock offers much more than just outdoor access. The program provides mentorship and the skills to develop self-assuredness and resilience. These are the kinds of experiences that will stay with students for a lifetime and set them up for success.”
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STORIES OF IMPACT | Katia L.
What Happens When Youth Lead Youth - New Pathways To Success Can Unfold From The Simplest Things, Like Kayaking!
Just ask Katia Lopez. Her decision to attend a CatRock Ventures info session, at the urging of her high school science teacher, set her on the path to life-changing experiences in nature as a program participant and to her current role as a CatRock Program Leader. Today, Katia is a Barnard College sophomore and a shining example of what happens when youth are empowered not just to succeed, but to lead.
CatRock has always built students’ leadership skills. Recently, the organization expanded this work by providing opportunities for program alumni, like Katia, to serve as peer-mentors. These alumni share what they’ve learned with newcomers to the program and model what it means to live CatRock’s values, during immersive outdoor experiences and in everyday life. As youth leaders, their skills and passion become a catalyst for success, for themselves and other young people just like them.
Katia’s story is a powerful example of what happens when youth lead youth. Her journey started from the same place as many of her peers. Right up until her sophomore year in high school, the Bronx teen had never camped, hiked, or even learned how to ride a bike. "I didn't really do anything with my free time. It was just going to school and going home. So this was an opportunity to get further than the four walls of my school and my neighborhood."
Her first CatRock milestone? Pushing through fear and doubt to learn how to ride a bike. "Once you start doing it, the fear is, like, you forget that it's even there. Then after a while, you're just having fun and forget that you had all these doubts in the first place."
That initial burst of momentum led to even more achievements and a growing confidence in her ability to reach for new horizons — even just going up to someone new and introducing herself. "My experiences with CatRock helped me have more confidence and be more outgoing. I felt more comfortable just walking up to someone and saying ‘Hi, I'm Katia. What's your name?’ It helped me get that practice of getting to know people and being able to put myself out there."
“We're bringing new faces into the outdoors and making it more inclusive and accessible to people like us in the Bronx.”
Over time, Katia’s leadership potential started shining through. She used her newfound skills and confidence to build networks with her peers and share knowledge, support, and just plain fun. “You just start learning quickly when you're going on these trips... And then the next time there is the same question, you can answer it for someone else.” She even paid her new bike riding skills forward, teaching others how to hop on and start pedaling, coaching them in both English and Spanish.
The fact that Katia is bilingual isn’t just a nice bonus. It’s an example of how youth leadership helps improve the diversity, equity, and inclusiveness of CatRock’s programs. Given the barriers that often exclude Black and Latino youth from outdoor activities and youth empowerment opportunities, it’s important that they be able to learn and grow from people who look like them, can speak their languages, and know their challenges. As Katia puts it: “We're bringing new faces into the outdoors and making it more inclusive and accessible to people like us in the Bronx.” She goes on to say “I want to be that person for them that I had when I was in their position…I feel like giving back in that sense.”
CatRock Venture’s youth-led initiatives are made possible with the support and funding of Patagonia, the Green Relief and Recovery Fund, the Keaton’s Kids Foundation, National Recreation Foundation, Tom’s of Maine, and the John T. and Jane A. Wiederhold Foundation.
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STORIES OF IMPACT | Britany H.
How CatRock Changes Perspectives — In More Ways Than One
"I never thought I would ever do something like this. But I did do it. So I feel like I'm more open to learning new things and trying new things,” says Britany H., a sophomore student at Health Opportunities High School in the Bronx.
Over a year into her adventures with CatRock, the 15-year-old Bronx native has snowboarded, slept in a hammock, camped out under the stars, crossed ice-cold streams, and cleaned up hiking trails in Montana — as well as making new friends and picking up a boatload of skills along the way.
Before learning about CatRock Ventures, Britany, like many of her peers, hadn’t ever left New York City. And she wasn’t sure if any of this was really for her, especially since she didn’t consider herself a social person.
Today, she’s all for jumping into new experiences with both feet. Her advice to others? "Take a big leap and throw yourself into new experiences. Just try it out. Even if you don't like the new experience, at least you're learning that you don't like something instead of just never knowing."
She got into her groove at school, made more friends, and even strengthened her relationship with her teachers. This is a common outcome for CatRock participants, since the programming is specifically designed to build healthy, productive relationships that lead to positive developmental outcomes.
Britany developed more and more of that can-do spirit with every CatRock opportunity, starting with the 2021 Bike-a-thon on the Bronx River Parkway in Westchester, New York. "I enjoyed it. I went with my friend and that really brought us closer together."
Her first big outing with CatRock was a snowboarding trip. Everything about it was a new experience for Britany, even slipping on the boots. "They were so chunky!”
She was a little intimidated at first, especially since everyone else on the trip had some experience on the slopes. "They all seemed like they knew what they were doing. They got their snowboards, they had their helmets on and everything. And I was just so new. I didn't know at all what was happening or what I was doing.”
“I never thought I would ever do something like this. But I did do it. So I feel like I'm more open to learning new things and trying new things.”
One of the teachers on the trip offered up some encouragement, reminding Britany that everyone has to start from somewhere. That gave her the confidence to brave the slopes for the very first time.
“I didn't want to fall, but at some point, I had to muster up the courage and just go. So I went. And fell. But it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. And once I fell, I just felt like I could keep going."
Helping young people stretch their horizons and step out of their comfort zones is just one of the ways CatRock volunteers and alumni foster independence and confidence in students. And that momentum stayed with Britany well after the trip was over.
She got into her groove at school, made more friends, and even strengthened her relationship with her teachers. This is a common outcome for CatRock participants, since the programming is specifically designed to build healthy, productive relationships that lead to positive developmental outcomes.
Then came an opportunity to join a week-long adventure in Vermont, where she would plant trees and participate in other hands-on outdoor environmental education activities. To Britany, just the thought of being in a different place, outside of the city, was something totally new and exciting.
Another highlight was receiving a jacket, donated by Patagonia, with a personalized name patch, that she learned to sew on herself. "It felt really cool, because I did this myself. It wasn't somebody else just giving me this. I got to make it."
This past summer, Britany reached the summit of CatRock’s Youth Leadership Academy through a capstone service project in Montana, where she cleaned up overgrown hiking trails. Unlike Jay Peak, where students bunked in cabins, this trip offered full-on wilderness immersion. But it didn’t take long for her to embrace every aspect of the experience: sleeping in a hammock, getting up early, grabbing a hard hat and tools and braving the great outdoors. "After finishing the trail, we got to see what we worked on and walk the same trail. It was a rewarding experience, with all the views up there. It was so beautiful."
But perhaps the biggest takeaway of all is the new perspective she has on inclusion, equity, and social justice. When asked how she would convince a friend to join a CatRock service project, Britany had this to say: "The environment is for you, for everybody. Like, why not help out other people? Because this [investment in our community] is going to affect, you know, everybody."
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STORIES OF IMPACT | Melanie C.
Jay Peak Leadership Summit Provides Invaluable Growth Opportunities for Bronx Youth
CatRock Ventures partners with Bronx high schools to provide students with transformational experiential learning opportunities designed to improve academic and social skills.
About 50 CatRock Youth Leadership Academy students participated in the Jay Peak Leadership Summit in Vermont where they engaged in outdoor recreation, leadership training, environmental workshops, and a service learning project. Melanie C., a youth leader and program staff member, found the weeklong summit immensely uplifting as she witnessed students gain confidence and bond together as they challenged themselves and went beyond their perceived limits.
As a bunk leader, Melanie had the opportunity to mentor several young women and help them learn life skills such as cooking meals, doing laundry, keeping their unit clean, and time management.
Melanie recalls the fun everyone had when she taught them how to make macaroni and cheese from scratch. One young woman even improvised when they couldn’t find bread crumbs. “She toasted a bunch of bread and just smashed it up. They were all really into it,” notes Melanie.
During the leadership summit, CatRock creates a safe and supportive environment for students and adults to work through vulnerability together as they try new activities like snowboarding, skiing, ice skating, and hiking.
“I was learning from the kids as much as I was teaching them. Anyone volunteering with CatRock for the first time or second time will feel that way.”
Several teens told Melanie that they had never envisioned themselves taking part in such activities, how trying for the first time was eye-opening, and that they would love to do it again.
As the week progresses, students build connections with each other, their teachers, CatRock alumni, volunteers, and program staff. At the Clips & Reels Climbing Gym, some students struggled with one particularly challenging activity called the Stairway to Heaven in which they are hooked up to a rope, but climb up beams hands-free.
Initially, certain teens thought they could do the climb, but doubt set in as they ascended. “We just kept encouraging the students to keep going one step at a time. When we started, we were all strangers. But by the end of the week, the students trust you more than they trust the rope,” explains Melanie.
As Melanie reflects on the leadership summit, she realizes it had an equally deep impact on her and the students. “Growth is important. You can only grow if you decide to challenge yourself,” she says. “You shouldn’t stay where you’re most comfortable. Before this trip, I don’t think I ever would have told the kids to just try and climb up as many steps as they can. I probably would have said, ‘If you don’t feel safe doing it, you probably shouldn’t do it.’ My mindset has changed.”
Melanie can’t wait for next year’s Jay Peak trip and highly urges newcomers to volunteer for what will ultimately be an extremely rewarding experience. “Volunteer with CatRock because it will give you a chance to see how all these different people from different walks of life are experiencing the same thing in different ways. Some may feel totally in their element, even though they’re doing it for the first time. And for others, they’ll struggle, but they’ll still want to try it again and again. Seeing that would make somebody feel a sense of accomplishment. I was learning from the kids as much as I was teaching them. Anyone volunteering with CatRock for the first time or second time will feel that way.”
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STORIES OF IMPACT | Jin’s Story
Finding Courage within Community
As a high school sophomore, Jin R was a newcomer to the Bronx from Georgia who loved the outdoors and hiking with her family. But Jin had no idea how she was going to access nature now that she was living in New York. Then she heard about CatRock one day at school.
“I wanted to join CatRock because I had just transferred from Georgia where programs like this weren’t offered. I saw that CatRock was really unique and that I would regret it if I didn’t take this opportunity,” recalls Jin.
Joining CatRock transformed Jin’s life in New York, exposing her to new experiences and enabling her to develop new skills. Jin learned to snowboard on the Chill Program, sponsored by Burton, that teaches positive life skills and self-esteem through board sports. Every week for six weeks, Jin and fellow students took a bus to Mountain Creek, New Jersey for snowboarding lessons. It was a long day and Jin didn’t return home until 9 pm. Beyond learning a new sport and the empowering Chill curriculum, Jin acquired invaluable time management skills as she was responsible for completing her homework on those long Tuesdays.
Jin also fell in love with skiing on the annual CatRock trip to Vermont’s Jay Peak Resort. But Jay Peak was more than just a wonderful time on the slopes. As an introverted person, Jin learned how much fun she could have in a group. Jin remembers the warm community feeling that developed while staying and bonding with her friends in the cabin, telling stories, cooking together, and sharing meals. The CatRock leaders even put on an appreciation awards ceremony at the end and talked about how much the students meant to CatRock. “It felt like a family,” reminisces Jin.
“Before CatRock, I never went skiing or snowboarding and was kind of intimidated. But I learned that if I have the right support system and community, it’s a lot easier and I’m more empowered to do these things.”
CatRock’s Wilderness First Aid program, which teaches outdoor survival skills and how to manage in any emergency, has influenced Jin’s professional plans. The class helped her learn more about health careand she plans on doing premed in college.
Now a high school senior, CatRock has enabled Jin to broaden her horizons and make enormous personal strides. “I always liked being in the outdoors, but because of CatRock, I’m more open minded about trying new things. Before CatRock, I never went skiing or snowboarding and was kind of intimidated. But I learned that if I have the right support system and community, it’s a lot easier and I’m more empowered to do these things.”
Jin wants others to know that CatRock’s extraordinary experiences are due to the wonderful leadership team: “The CatRock staff and volunteers are extremely welcoming and encourage you to try new things. They really care about the students and want us to have a good time. They prioritize our safety and make sure we have good experiences.”
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STORIES OF IMPACT | Tayyib’s Story
CatRock is a Mini-Family, a Home Away from Home
One year ago, Tayyib R. was a high school senior embarking on his first CatRock adventure. Today, he looks forward to leading CatRock trips and trainings as an alum.
From the moment he joined CatRock, Tayyib knew he was onto something special. He remembers an inspiring lakeside conversation he had with a CatRock leader who told him the nonprofit’s goal of getting kids outdoors. “CatRock opened my mind to the wilderness and being active in nature,” he says.
CatRock is a New York City nonprofit that provides underserved high school youth with opportunities for leadership development, community service, and environmental learning through the transformative power of the outdoors. The students benefit from CatRock’s distinctive warm and welcoming community and build skills that will last them a lifetime.
Soon enough, Tayyib was immersed in outdoor adventures among friends in which he felt challenged and motivated. He recalls a weekend cycling and camping trip in rural Connecticut. The uphill terrain was demanding, but Tayyib pushed himself and kept going. He loved how the CatRock leaders and volunteers created real life scenarios to test the students on the wilderness first aid skills they had learned. Finally, Tayyib remembers the camaraderie of sharing the weekend with new friends he met from high schools across the Bronx.
“CatRock has made me more confident and independent. Now I want others to be able to depend on me,” explains Tayyib.
Throughout the year, Tayyib continued to try new sports and enjoy new experiences with CatRock. Before long, Tayyib realized how much he was learning and changing. He cites leadership as a new skill and the importance of listening to others. “CatRock has made me more confident and independent. Now I want others to be able to depend on me,” explains Tayyib.
Tayyib’s dedication to community runs deep. “I am committed to being a better person, helping out my community, and making it a better place for younger kids so that one day they can contribute to the community.” He mentions the importance of taking part in CatRock’s gardening and clean up efforts in the local city parks.
CatRock has been life changing for Tayyib because of the kindness and dedication of volunteers, alum, and leaders. “CatRock is a mini-family, a home away from home,” reports Tayyib. “It’s the perfect place for kids to go and learn life lessons. CatRock helps you become more active, more connected, and more involved with the outside world.”
As fall approaches, Tayyib looks forward to starting as a CatRock alum. “I want to be a leader that youth can look up to and confide in.”
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STORIES OF IMPACT | Jamaya’s Story
How One Community Inspires Her to Speak Up in Others
As an incoming freshman at Central Park East High School High School, rock climbing was the furthest thing from Jamaya’s mind. It is somewhat ironic, then, that just three years later it has become such an indelible part of her life.
Jamaya is going into her fourth year of Young Women Who Crush—a nine-month long rock climbing and leadership development program serving young women and gender expansive youth from NYC public schools. It is an experience that has opened her mind to new perspectives and empowered her to lead the push for change in her own community and society at large. When Jamaya looks back on herself, she sees just how much the program has helped her grow.
“I wasn’t always willing to have important conversations or advocate for the needs of myself or other people in my community. But having those conversations with the rock climbing team pushed me to be that leader. And I translated that into the social justice program I’m in now. Rock climbing helped with that. Just having important conversations. I was like, wait, I could talk about this in my school. And that led me to join and now I’m one of the co-leaders in that program.”
That sense of empowerment and community is at the heart of everything Young Women Who Crush does. Girls like Jamaya are given a warm and welcoming space for dialogue around issues related to gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality and other dimensions of identity.
“We’ve had important conversations about being a woman in America today—being a Black woman in America, being a Muslim woman in America, being an Asian woman in America. I know it’s a sports program but they really made it open to where we could speak about whatever we’re feeling at that moment.”
“We’ve had important conversations about being a woman in America today—being a Black woman in America, being a Muslim woman in America, being an Asian woman in America. I know it’s a sports program but they really made it open to where we could speak about whatever we’re feeling at that moment. It makes us more aware of what’s going on in society. Outside of rock climbing, I’m more willing to advocate for women of color from different backgrounds because rock climbing gave me the opportunity to see that.”
The enormous sense of trust, support, and communication needed for those discussions to happen is a result of the environment that YYWC fosters—one that the program constantly reinforces through a sport that requires those very same elements to succeed. When Jamaya climbs or co-leads a session, she never feels like she is alone.
“Knowing that I’ll be supported no matter what is just really comforting. Because I’m like, okay, I might mess up. But then it’s like, we laugh, and I continue again. And everyone’s just like, great job and then I just want to reciprocate that energy and be that same person for them.”
And while she still loves the climbing aspect of the program and the rush it gives her, learning how to climb, grip, belay, and toe-tap is only a small part of why it has become so important to her. Climbing is the medium for a much deeper sense of self-discovery and personal growth, and Young Women Who Crush has made it possible.
“I’m not only more confident in my skills and ideas, but I’m more confident in what I could do for my community and the people in my community. I can advocate for them. I’m going to fight to see the change that I want. I’m a little activist now. I love it.”
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STORIES OF IMPACT | Corey’s Story
How a CatRock Education Changed a Life
“What you learn at CatRock is different from what you learn in high school,” says Corey, a third year CatRock student. “Educators at school teach you core subjects like mathematics. Educators at CatRock teach you how to become a better person. It sounds weird to call them educators, but that’s what they are.”
Corey’s journey of personal development started almost three years ago when he first heard of CatRock. Like many Bronx youth, the promise of adventure beyond New York City appealed to Corey whose “only outdoor activity before joining CatRock was walking to school.” Through CatRock’s programming, Corey has developed a passion for skiing and hiking, two activities that neither he nor his family would have thought of doing before.
CatRock increases access to and participation in outdoor adventure activities by removing the social, cultural, and economic barriers faced by New York City youth. But according to Corey, his involvement with CatRock has done more than improve his level of fitness through exposure to new outdoor activities. “Doing things that I never thought I’d do, like skiing in Vermont and leading younger students on hiking trips in Hook Mountain Park, has been such an empowering experience. But my experience at CatRock has also helped me become a less self-absorbed person.”
“Doing things that I never thought I’d do, like skiing in Vermont and leading younger students on hiking trips in Hook Mountain Park, has been such an empowering experience. But my experience at CatRock has also helped me become a less self-absorbed person.”
This unanticipated outcome has helped Corey realize that he would like to become an educator focused on empowering the next generation of young people instead of a doctor. “My relationship with Craig [CatRock’s executive director] has been the most important factor in making that change. His generosity, the work he does with young people, and the energy he brings has inspired me to become a teacher.”
CatRock staff and volunteers have shaped much of Corey’s experience. “At first, I was very intimidated by the staff and volunteers because they were so different from my social circle. But it was so easy to talk to them and they treated students as equals. When you are treated as an equal by someone in a position of power, it becomes really easy to respect them.”
The family-like support system, resources, and opportunities provided to CatRock students evolved during the Covid-19 pandemic. “The virtual programming, the weekly Zoom call, gardening and exercise workshops were such an important outlet for many in our CatRock community who were experiencing a difficult time. Craig even sent us [Back to the Roots] mushroom grow kits which we grew together as a community virtually.”
Outdoor adventure activities hooked Corey in the beginning. But the relationships and growth opportunities provided through CatRock’s programming helped him discover his desire to pay it forward as an educator and in the community.
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STORIES OF IMPACT | Joey’s Story
CatRock Co-Founder Shares His Passion for the Outdoors with Bronx Youth
The great outdoors has always played a significant role for CatRock co-founder Joey Yasgur who went to college in Colorado and was profoundly affected by his time in the mountains. Today, Joey’s love for the outdoors fuels his passion for sharing the benefits of nature with the students who participate in CatRock’s outdoor programs.
“Being outdoors centers me,” explains Joey. “The outdoors just simplifies everything. It really takes your mind, your thoughts, and your emotions, and puts them in a place where you can see situations in a different light. It affords you the opportunity to make certain decisions that may be more beneficial than the way you’ve been doing things. It’s my responsibility to share that experience and that passion for the outdoors with our CatRock kids along with educating them about being good stewards of the environment.”
Joey and his CatRock co-founder, Craig Meisner, developed the outdoor curriculum that provides underserved Bronx youth with wilderness experiences that help students develop leadership potential, self-confidence, and a commitment to becoming outdoor stewards and community leaders.
“It means a lot to give back to the Bronx community. We wanted to build an organization that can help these kids – through outdoor experiences – develop certain skills and a different mindset in life, plus get the self-confidence and a leg up that they aren’t always afforded”
“It means a lot to give back to the Bronx community. We wanted to build an organization that can help these kids – through outdoor experiences – develop certain skills and a different mindset in life, plus get the self-confidence and a leg up that they aren’t always afforded,” says Joey.
Along with the CatRock trips and activities that Joey enjoys with the kids, he hosts weekends away for the students at his northwest Connecticut lakefront home. Here the CatRock students, leaders, and volunteers bond, relax, and have fun together. It’s a special opportunity to share first time outdoor experiences with the CatRock students such as ice fishing and snowman competitions in winter and waterskiing, boarding, tubing, and kayaking in summer.
“It’s really great for them to see and experience something like that on a personal level,” enthuses Joey. “It’s wonderful to see the excitement on their faces and to see them have the kind of joy they have in a weekend together and share that with them. Getting to know them has just been as enriching for me as I hope it is for them.”
As for the future, Joey would like to grow CatRock so they can do more and reach more kids. For instance, he plans on adding scholarship and tutoring programs to the CatRock College & Career Advisory program. “With additional funding, we can bring on more people, have more exciting programs and services, and offer them to more kids than we currently have,” he notes.
Meanwhile, Joey continues to do his best for the kids who motivate and inspire him and his CatRock colleagues. “It’s an awfully satisfying thing to be able to help kids who really need it, really appreciate it, and really thrive on it. To interact with these young kids, see the kind of people they are, the backgrounds that they come from, and see the spirit that is really there and that can be developed, grown, and cherished – that is something.”
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STORIES OF IMPACT | Ixza’s Story
My CatRock Trip to Montana — Falling in Love with the Wilderness
“I never understood the term culture shock until I went to Montana,” explains South Bronx native Ixza. “I was so used to the way life is here. I didn't even think about Montana as a place people went. When we got off the plane, the airport didn't look like anything I was used to. Everything was made of wood and they had a big bear on display. I thought, what is this? Then we left the airport and all I could see were these vast mountains. The sky looked so huge. And I felt so small.”
Each summer, a group of CatRock Ventures’ students get the opportunity to take part in a week-long service learning and wilderness immersion program in partnership with the Selway-Bitterroot Franck Church Foundation and Sierra Club NYC Inspiring Connections Outdoors.
Students leave the Bronx and backpack, repair trails, cook and camp in the woods outside of Missoula, Montana. Through this program students strengthen their leadership skills and gain a deeper understanding of their role as environmental stewards.
“ We all just sat there in silence. We’d had a really good time in Montana. It was probably the best time of my life”
“Basically, we were not going to be anywhere near civilization for the next week. I thought, okay, I know I signed up. But I don't know how prepared I actually am!” Ixza declares.
“I was the slowest one going up the trail. I felt like I was dying. It was like we had our whole lives on our backs,” Ixza remembers. “They said pack lightly, and I was thinking, we're going to be there awhile. I'm gonna need more. But they were right. Just with clothes, food, tents, and water bottles, that bag had to weigh 20 pounds!”
Repairing the trail was challenging, but fun. “We chopped up these huge logs that had to be at least two to three stories long and high when they fell down,” Ixza recalls. “When we found one on the path, someone would have to climb over it, then we'd use tools to cut it in half. Then as a team we had to pick it up and push it out of the way because travelers would come by and they would want to see these amazing views but they wouldn't be able to because the log would be in the way.”
Ixza was amazed how quickly she developed a camaraderie with the group. “The only thing we had was each other. The only people who would come up the trail were on horses and they would bring us food that we had to make. So, it was sort of isolating,” she explains. “At times, I missed my family and my dog. But then other times, I loved being here around the bonfire with these people.” Ixza reveals, “you [normally] wouldn't tell something personal to someone you met two days ago, right? But up there, it didn't feel like two days. It felt like a lifetime.”
Besides making new friends and learning new skills, Ixza discovered a new food. “As we hiked and cut up the logs, we picked berries,” she says. “I’d never heard of huckleberries before. My friend and I became infatuated with them! Every time someone saw a huckleberry bush, we would grab a whole bunch and eat them.”
The most difficult thing to deal with was not having access to running water. “There was a lake,” Ixza recalls. “That's where I ‘showered.’ I just went in and wet my body and scrubbed as best as I could with my hands. That was it. That was all I got. I thought it was okay. I thought I could handle it. But around the sixth day I thought, I really need a shower! I can't do this anymore! It was so hard. I loved being there. But I needed to be able to wash my head with some shampoo and scrub it. We couldn’t bring shampoo or anything that would damage the trees or contaminate the water. Everything had to be natural and decompose. So, sleeping or sitting on the ground in the dirt and having all this water from the plants lapping right onto my skin was a lot to handle. It was a really good experience. But I was really debating just leaving and going for a shower.”
When it was time to leave Montana, Ixza was surprised by how close she’d become to her groupmates. “When we came back home and were on the subway, we all almost had a moment where we were gonna cry because Matthew was going off to college and he was going to be so many miles away. It was going to be the last time we saw him for a while. We all just sat there in silence. We’d had a really good time in Montana. It was probably the best time of my life,” she confesses.
Ixza wishes everybody could have the same experience she did. “I was happy to be back home, but I automatically missed being outdoors,” Ixza explains. “I told my sister I wish she could have been there to see it in person because being on top of the Grand Canyon, for example, is not the same thing as looking at a picture of the Grand Canyon. They’re two different things. You don't get the same wind in your hair or same sandy feeling. There's no way that you can experience the same thing through a photo or through someone's words, you know?”
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STORIES OF IMPACT | Destyny’s Story
A Shy, Self-conscious Teen Found Her Voice at CatRock
It was the best English class ever. Destyny’s teacher, Mr. Healy, introduced Craig from CatRock. “I was so excited,” she recalls. “They were going to talk about outdoors, hiking, all those cool things. Coming from the Bronx, you don't really go out a lot, she explains. I just went straight from school to the house and the house to school. Hearing that we were going to be hiking or going outdoors and learning skills and CPR, I just couldn't miss out on this opportunity. There wasn't much that I did when I was younger. So, when I saw this opportunity, I just couldn't let it go.”
Through CatRock’s transformative outdoor experiences and community service opportunities, high school students build a personal connection to the outdoors, a commitment to environmental stewardship, and a dedication to making a difference in their own communities. CatRock outdoor adventures are not only designed to foster a love for nature, they provide underserved Bronx youth with one-of-a-kind opportunities for personal growth and development.
High school wasn't easy for Destyny. She was top a student, doing her best to graduate at the top of her class, but at the expense of sleep and typical teenage fun. To make matters worse, she was plagued by terrible acne. “It was affecting my confidence, my friendships, it was literally all going through my head, balancing life with family with beauty,” she remembers.
At CatRock they treated me like everybody else wouldn't. It wasn’t like school, walking down the hall, people staring at you or not talking to you. At CatRock they don't care about how you look or your culture or nationality. They just care about you.”
Destyny Gonzalez, Urban Gardening during Covid.
Each CatRock activity incorporates some time for sharing and reflection. Destyny remembers her first time. “It was definitely an effort,” she says. “When we all had that first sleepover, after dinner we were all in a circle. And one by one, everybody was confessing what was the highest moment of their day and the lowest moment of their day or something they overcame. When it was my turn, my heart was beating in my chest. I had super anxiety thinking, what am I going to say? But when I started talking, everything flowed so perfectly, and I thought, I can get used to this. Everybody's listening, nobody's judging me. I can speak my mind without having to worry about anything.”
Over the years in the CatRock program, she continued to build her confidence and find her voice. “Having that type of confidence with the whole group really taught me how to be more confident with myself,” she says. “If I can talk about things with people that I don't even know, that means that I am more than what I thought I was.” Destyny is grateful for the life-long friendships she developed at CatRock too. A couple of her high school friends joined when she did and the experiences they shared strengthened their connections to last far beyond graduation.
Destyny is currently studying sociology and law, focusing on advocacy. “I wanted to do something for a group of people. I wanted to make change,” she says. “CatRock had a hand in that because I wouldn't be talking to groups of people as confidently as I am now. On the different trips we took I was put on the spot a lot and I appreciate that they took me out of my comfort zone.”
"I've learned how to not stop myself from doing a lot of things that I used to stop myself from doing,” she declares. “CatRock taught me that you only live once and if you have this opportunity right now in your hand, just take it. You have to be a little selfish sometimes. I haven't stopped myself; I feel myself growing.”
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STORIES OF IMPACT | Christopher’s Story
Joining CatRock Was The Best Decision I Ever Made
“Join CatRock if you’re given the opportunity,” recommends Christopher L. “It’s going to be life changing.”
The recent high school grad should know. Christopher joined CatRock after hearing positive stories from his classmates.
CatRock is a New York City nonprofit that uses outdoor experiences and sports to provide underserved youth with inspiring experiential learning opportunities in leadership development, environmental stewardship, and community service. Along the way, the students become part of a warm and welcoming community and build skills to last a lifetime.
CatRock expanded Christopher’s world in so many ways. With CatRock, Christopher experienced sports like never before. He participated in CHILL, an eight-week snowboarding program that met every Tuesday at Mountain Creek. “I never thought I was going to do snowboarding, but CatRock gave me the opportunity. I loved learning the sport. I fell a lot, but I got up, kept going, and learned from my mistakes.”
“I never thought I was going to do snowboarding, but CatRock gave me the opportunity. I loved learning the sport. I fell a lot, but I got up, kept going, and learned from my mistakes.”
Christopher recalls a bike trip to White Plains that was both fun and educational. Learning to keep pace without tiring too fast made him a better and more efficient cyclist.
As part of the CatRock Leadership Academy, Christopher took the Wilderness First Aid Training course. This two-day program prepares students for any unforeseen outdoor medical emergencies. With his certification in wilderness first aid, Christopher stresses how ready he is to respond to any emergency situation.
New relationships have been a game changer for Christopher. “The best part about CatRock is the combination of new friends and outdoor activities,” he stresses. “I didn’t play sports before because I didn’t have anyone to play with. With CatRock, I have so many new friends.”
Through CatRock, Christopher has made major personal strides. This formerly shy “solo player” cites the leadership, teamwork, and communications skills he has gained. Christopher maintains that he is far more confident and independent. “I can do more and push myself to achieve my goals. Now I feel I can do a lot in my life,” he explains.
Moving ahead, Christopher will study film this fall at Bronx Community College and plans to make family friendly action movies with a positive message. He looks forward to putting his communication skills to use in class and playing team sports.
Christopher can’t say enough about the benefits of the nonprofit. “Joining CatRock was the best decision I ever made. You’re not just going to make friends. It’s family. It’s forever.”
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STORIES OF IMPACT | Andrew’s Story
Finding His Future on a Mountain Trail
Andrew Negron will never forget the first time he climbed Vermont’s Jay Peak with his CatRock friends at age 15. “Just as we almost got to the summit, after hiking one of the steepest sections of the trail, I noticed we were among the clouds. Everything was white and gray. There was no view. The only thing I could see was the look on everyone’s face. Everyone was so excited. When we finally reached the summit, there was still no view, only the look as everyone realized they had achieved something they had never before thought possible.”
That climb was a pivotal moment for Andrew. “That experience made me want to stay with CatRock.”
Today, six years later, Andrew is an alum of the CatRock Ventures program who now leads that same trip to Jay Peak and many other activities. “When I look back, it makes me appreciate what CatRock offers to so many who wouldn’t otherwise have these experiences at such a young age.”
Reaching that milestone atop Jay Peak drives the CatRock mission. The Bronx nonprofit provides underserved Bronx youth with transformative outdoor experiences, community service learning opportunities, and academic support. Through hands-on programs and activities, students ages 13-18 build a personal connection to the outdoors, a commitment to environmental stewardship, and a dedication to making a difference in their own communities. The students also develop leadership potential, communication skills, and teamwork.
“CatRock builds community. We focus on people coming together to achieve common goals and learn about themselves and each other.”
CatRock’s yearly Jay Peak trip — a week of outdoor fun, sports, and skills-building during the April school break — epitomizes the organization’s mission. Students spend the week skiing, snowboarding, hiking, and snowshoeing while learning about conservation and sustainability and putting their leadership skills to the test. The Jay Peak trip culminates with the hike to the summit that is planned by the students utilizing the skills they have acquired.
“We put all our skills, determination, and perseverance to the test,” explains Andrew. “The hike is pretty difficult. We have to account for different elevations, the weather, and everyone’s hiking abilities to ensure we all make it to the summit safely. We have to look out for one another, stay hydrated, and motivate one another to get to the top.”
Moments like these at Jay Peak create invaluable learning experiences. “CatRock builds community,” continues Andrew. “We focus on people coming together to achieve common goals and learn about themselves and each other.”
For Andrew, that first Jay Peak summit impacted his life in a big way. “Being a CatRock alum has given me a strong sense of purpose in what I want to do with my life: Continue to build community, share the skills I have learned through CatRock, and be an environmental activist.”
For CatRock, it’s mission accomplished.
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STORIES OF IMPACT | Eric B.
CatRock Rallies Through Covid Spring with Inspired Virtual Programming
What did CatRock – a New York City outdoor adventure program that fosters leadership, environmental stewardship, and education among underserved youth in communities of color – do when Covid-19 turned life upside down?
When the pandemic upended the nonprofit’s outdoor trips, trainings, and programs, the CatRock Virtual Leadership Program launched with online activities designed to support and inspire the students.
Instead of the annual youth leadership summit and ski trip to Vermont’s Jay Peak Resort, rafting on the Delaware Water Gap, wilderness first aid training in upstate New York, and service projects across New York City, CatRock provided thoughtful and uplifting online workshops featuring physical fitness, wellness, food, nutrition, adventures, and academics to support the students.
“Providing the students with quality, engaging programming and support was crucial as they dealt with the demands of online school and remote learning,” reports volunteer Eric B. “We ensured that students still had opportunities for personal growth and leadership development as well as a strong sense of community and fun.”
“We are a leadership and stewardship program whose students will make a difference in the communities they serve throughout their lives.”
Together, CatRock students, volunteers, and leaders had a spring like no other through creative interactive online experiences. The CatRock community enabled everyone to share, give, and support one another virtually.
A weekly Wednesday group video call provided powerful community and conversation. Exercise and yoga classes offered fitness and wellness breaks throughout the week and weekend. Volunteers had an opportunity to share their passions for everything from biking and travel, to dance, fitness, health, and activism for the land. And a virtual climb up Jay Peak used fitness drills and video footage of climbs from past years.
The CatRock leaders and volunteers were not the only teachers. The students showcased their creativity, knowledge, and insights. CatRock provided the students with $50 gift cards to shop for ingredients and prepare a cultural meal they shared through photos and videos. A gardening workshop enabled the students to share their family gardens and teach the CatRock community about growing food, flowers, and plants.
One Wednesday call provided a profoundly moving and meaningful conversation dedicated to racial and social injustice in the aftermath of the George Floyd killing. The students led the discussion and expressed their feelings about violence toward people of color by the police and the ensuing protests. When asked to share, one student’s perspective was an important lesson for the CatRock community: “It is a privilege to get to learn about social injustice and racial discrimination, rather than living it every day.”
CatRock’s virtual programming amplified the nonprofit’s commitment to building community and teamwork. “One of the biggest takeaways about our entire virtual spring was the way our leadership, volunteers, and students adapted to the circumstances and made the best of it,” recalls Eric. “We worked to lift each other up in difficult times and we were there for each other as a community.”
This spring underscored that CatRock is more than just an outdoor adventure program notes Eric. “We are a leadership and stewardship program whose students will make a difference in the communities they serve throughout their lives.”
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