Trekkers, Inc.

Cultivating the inherent strengths of young people through the power of long-term mentoring relationships.

• About Us
  For over 25 years, Trekkers has been cultivating the inherent strengths of young people through the power of long-term mentoring relationships. Our uniquely effective program provides students from Midcoast Maine with a six-year community support network that helps young people navigate the transition to adulthood. Trekkers utilizes outdoor, experiential, and travel-based education as a means of strengthening resiliency, raising aspirations, defining post-secondary goals, and increasing connections between young people and their communities. The Trekkers model is based on its Principles of Youth Development - a flexible and responsive model for nurturing social and emotional development that honors students for who they are and what their potential makes possible.
  
  Through grade-specific programs that build on the skills, learning and personal growth gained the previous year, Trekkers incorporates five educational components: adventure-based learning, cultural awareness, community service, environmental stewardship and wilderness exploration. Trekkers seeks to expose students to the diversity of people, cultures, natural resources and opportunities that exist outside the focus of their everyday life and to prepare them for life beyond high school.
  
  Trekkers serves up to 240 students a year from our rural, six-town service area. The Trekkers AmeriCorps Mentoring Program greatly increases Trekkers impact on young people through their support in preparing for and co-leading expeditions, along with their direct contact with young people in a mentoring capacity before, after, and on expeditions. Our AmeriCorps members double the number of hours Trekkers spend with our students, and also increases the number of students we can support in our communities.
• Our Impact
  Our students consistently report statistically significant positive change in indicators of resilience, including reflection, empathy, trust, and optimism; relationships with peers and adults and indicators of learning and school engagement, including learning interest, critical thinking, and academic motivation.