Post 84 helps hundreds of high schoolers get outside every year
Post 84, a partner with WTA’s Outdoor Leadership Training program since 2018, helps teenaged campers from the Puget Sound area get outside by offering more than a dozen camping trips a year. WTA's gear library makes it possible for even more teens to attend the trips.
Access to outdoor spaces is at the heart of WTA’s mission. We work hard to make that possible for all, but especially for young people. One of the ways we do that is by partnering with organizations who work with youth.
Post 84 has been a partner with WTA’s Outdoor Leadership Training (OLT) program since 2018. The nonprofit, managed by and for high school students, enables teenaged campers from the Puget Sound area to get outside.
Post 84 boasts more than a dozen trips a year; these trips are multi-day camping trips with emphasis on different activities. The excursions are planned, staffed and managed by high school students in the Puget Sound area.
A group of campers on a Post 84 Survival trip. Photo courtesy Silas Collins.
“It’s awesome the number of youth that Post 84 is serving in their programs… Desert School is going out, and that’s two trips of 70 students. They’re able to provide opportunities to a lot of youth, especially in Seattle,” said Sarah Williams, WTA’s staff liaison with Post 84.
Students manage the nonprofit. They run the excursions from outreach to execution. There are about 75 student staff at any given time. New members are selected as senior members graduate, keeping the staff roster expansive. Post 84 also has three adult staff who serve as mentors to ensure continuity. Adult volunteers also chaperone trips for safety.
Students get selected in batches of 15-20 to ensure that all of the trips have adequate support. Most of the student staff come from Garfield, Franklin and Cleveland high schools, all in Seattle. The students earn service hours for their participation as to help support the trips. In addition, the executive committee is offered a small stipend to help offset the time student staff spends ensuring that each camper has adequate food, supplies, transportation and information to have the best time possible on each trip.
A group of Post 84 students enjoy a kayaking trip. Photo courtesy Silas Collins.
Participants, called campers by Post 84, are invited to join trips through outreach efforts over school intercoms, school bulletin boards, websites and Instagram. The trips run the gamut of experiences from “Siberia,” a snow camping experience, to “Desert School,” in the beauty of Eastern Washington. Campers learn the basics of survival camping, backpacking, biking, hiking, climbing and kayaking. Post 84 also offers students real-world experiences in logistics, fundraising and outreach.
“My favorite memory was last fall’s Survival. I put in so many hours running the trip, and seeing the bus come to the campsite with all the campers rushing out was so surreal to me. I did that. It felt so rewarding and boosted my confidence,” said Nyla Math, the current leader of the Survival program.
Post 84 ensures that all their trips are affordable. Their costs are low and scholarship requests are honored, no questions asked. And students don’t need their own gear to join a trip. Silas Collins, the current Post 84 gear manager, said Post 84 supports getting students outside, no matter what.
“A trip we have coming up, called Desert School, is only open to ninth graders so it’s really a popular trip with people who just want to go with their friends, have some fun in Eastern Washington. And we get a lot of people who aren’t usually going outdoors. Maybe it’s their first time away from home, even. And on those trips, we get a really high percentage of people who don't have their own outdoor gear and borrow from us,” Silas said.
Post 84 students on their Siberia winter trip. Photo courtesy Silas Collins.
As many as 75% of campers are borrowing gear for any given trip. Over the last year, requests for reliable gear have increased, as campers realize their equipment needs are greater than they realized. WTA has been helping to fill that need.
“WTA has been a phenomenal partner for us, a total game changer for our program, especially for students who don’t have the gear to come on trips.” said Lucia Hunt, Post 84’s executive director.
Over the past couple of years, WTA’s OLT program and their partnership with Post 84 has grown. Hunt has noticed an uptick in campers’ comfort across trips, thanks to all students having appropriate supplies to stay warm and dry.
Post 84 has just started working on their 3 year strategic plan, with a focus on sustaining their current offerings to students going forward. But the desire to expand both the number of trips and reach is obvious. WTA looks forward to supporting Post 84’s unique program to encourage high school students to find joy in the outdoors.
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