When it comes to our Y.E.T.I. outdoor clubs, we’re just looking to provide students an opportunity to experience some outdoor adventure if they want it. No one is required to participate in our clubs and to be honest, we know that it’s probably not for everybody. But for those students who find our club and really take to it, those adventures can become an important part of their experience at public school in South King County.
One of our all star participants this past year has been Sophie who attends Highline Highschool. Sophie and her mom told us that she had tried a number of different after school activities and just didn’t really connect much with any of them. When Sophie decided to try the Y.E.T.I. club at Highline something stuck. Sophie attended a few club meetings and after school trips with us and quickly started inviting her other friends to come join. After a few months, we had a core crew at Highline Highschool attending club—most of them attended because of an invitation from Sophie.
We know our clubs are successful when students start driving participation and the kinds of trips we take. Sophie has emerged as a leader in the club at Highline, often collaborating with our program coordinator to put trips on the calendar and then promoting it to her friends and fellow students. When the opportunity for a spring break trip came up, Sophie and the core group of students landed on a Rock Climbing and Camping trip to Vantage, WA. With the students bought in on the trip and involved in the planning, they got a group of their peers to sign up—many of whom had never yet been on a Y.E.T.I. trip before.
The crew soaked up the sunshine on the eastern side of Washington and got to hike and rock climb for a 3 day stretch. They cooked their meals, roasted s’mores, and enjoyed the stars as they connected with their peers in a setting outside of the school hallways. By the end of the trip, Sophie and her boyfriend—Harley—were already talking about the other friends of theirs that they want to come join in Y.E.T.I. club. We even heard Harley claim, “I feel like Y.E.T.I. club is low-key the best club at school and no one knows it.”
Over the past 2 years, Sophie has shown us what a successful Y.E.T.I. club can do. She’s helped make club a hit among her peers and keeps pushing us to support bigger and bigger trips. We’re so glad that we have gotten the opportunity to help Sophie explore her passion for the outdoors and that she is helping us use our resources to support outdoor trips for other young people in her orbit. Y.E.T.I. will be returning to Highline High School for the 2024-2025 school year and we can’t wait to see what Sophie has planned for us!
