Q: What are the current goals or initiatives of the organization?

These goals are geared toward our Sahm Family – 5th Grade Outdoor Adventure Ed program

A: Goal 1: 75% of students will improve their understanding and confidence in outdoor survival skills through activities in which students build their own campfires and shelters in small groups, and will report comprehension levels in post-program surveys.

• Objective 1: Teach students the fundamentals of outdoor survival skills, specifically fire & shelter building.
• Objective 2: Students will be surveyed on their understanding of survival skills before/after the program. We predict that some students will have prior knowledge/experience with survival skills, while others will not.

Goal 2: 50% of students will report that they trust their classmates/ peers and/or teacher(s) more at the end of the program than they did prior, due to some experience (i.e. camping together or program exercises, such as the trust walk)

• Objective 1: Facilitate team-building exercises to increase feelings of trust between students, as well as between students and teachers.
• Objective 2: Students and teachers will be surveyed pre- and post-program. Post-program surveys will ask questions about the trust walk, solo, trust/team building exercises & the overall experience to measure increases in feelings of trust between students/teachers.

Goal 3: 50% of students will retain some knowledge from IBC’s STEAM-based curriculum, demonstrating retention on post-program surveys when asked specific questions about lessons.

• Objective 1: Effectively facilitate and communicate our STEAM-based curriculum (stream ecology, ecosystems, biodiversity) to students through lessons, games, and activities.
• Objective 2: Students will be surveyed on their understanding of IBC’s STEAM curriculum before and after the program. We predict that some students will have prior knowledge and experience with these concepts, while others will not.

Q: How will this grant from the WRWF help you reach your goals/further your mission?

A: At IBC, we ensure that kids have opportunities to experience life outside by gifting them with adventure. One issue we see today is that kids experience life through screens while missing out on invaluable outdoor experiences. This worries us about the future of their health and well-being. Kids deserve a life full of adventure. We understand how difficult it is for them to unplug and step outside their comfort zones which is why it is our goal to GET KIDS OUTSIDE.
The Sahm 5th Grade Program is made up of two 6-8 week seasons where nearly 500 5th grade students from local and regional schools from six Idaho Counties, travel to Idaho BaseCamp’s Big Lost Campus for a three day/two night Outdoor Adventure Education experience. IBC provides this program at “zero” cost to the students and schools. The only financial obligation is for the school to cover the cost of transportation. Students sleep in tents and wake up to morning mindfulness in our Borah Basin Building. Led by a group of 4-6 well trained staff, some highlights are basic primitive skills, team building activities, low ropes initiatives and scientific inquiry. The goal of the program is to create a strong connection with our natural surroundings and to go home with a greater sense of IBC’s core values: Personal Responsibility, Courage & Respect for All.

Q: What role does the organization play in our larger community? (In your view/opinion)

A: We estimate our 5th Grade Outdoor Adventure Program will serve approximately 500 students in the 2023-24 academic year. We expect the 5th Grade Outdoor Adventure program to expand the students’ outdoor education, and to help build important individual and cooperative skills as they engage physically in the natural world. Specifically, we expect to see the children:

• Increase their physical activity, and improve gross and fine motor skills.
• Show improvements in social and emotional skills such as cooperation, conflict resolution, problem-solving, and resiliency.
• Develop an ecological ethic, with better understanding of the value of environmental stewardship.
• Develop hands-on reasoning skills, such as scientific inquiry and hypothesis testing.
• Express positive feelings about trying something new, and learning new skills and information.
• Learn how to be present—more observant, focused, and attentive—in outdoor settings, which we expect to transfer to the classroom as well.

Overall, IBC is contributing to the healthy development of our youth in Idaho. IBC is providing opportunities for youth to create a strong relationship with the natural world which in turn will create the next stewards of our land. When communities take care of each other and the environment then we can thrive as a community, region, state and country.