Wonderful Outdoor World Colorado

WOW is a unique program that introduces urban youth, age’s eight to eleven, to outdoor recreation during a controlled and safe twenty-four hour camping experience.  With the crucial support provided by grants and sponsors, WOW is able to utilize a multitude of partnerships to serve hundreds of underserved youth per summer.  WOW focuses on serving children from lower socioeconomic areas, which ensure the wonders of camping and the benefits of active living that go along with it, are available to all.   WOW’s mission is to provide this experience to urban youth to foster basic camping skills, teach healthy eating habits in this new setting for most of WOW participants, enhance community values, give the opportunity to make new friends, and encourage youth to further enjoy the outdoors. 

            Since 1998, Colorado WOW has served over 4200 young people, with the biggest year occurring in 2007, with 612 served. In 2006, 46% were 1^st time campers, 96% enjoyed their camp experience, 22% were African American (22%); 27% were Caucasian  and 52% were Hispanic.

With the addition of the mountainous 20 acre Chief Hosa campground (contributed in-kind by the City of Denver) as the site of all WOW programs, a great deal of excitement has been generated.  Serving more and more youth is possible with this successful model.  However, what is limiting not only the growth, but the very survival of Colorado WOW is lacking a stable funding source.  The program has done everything in its power to reduce cost, increase quality, and serve more youth.  But without adequate funding, the program’s survival will be in jeopardy.

In addition, the non-profit WOW program has continually reduced the cost per camper while simultaneously increasing the quality of the programs.  The WOW program pays a small core of talented and committed individuals to lead operations at camps.  This labor is augmented significantly by mobilizing close to 100 volunteers per summer, who ensure participants thrive in a controlled, safe, and well-supervised environment.  This is all made possible because WOW is a collaborative effort of 35 non-profit, private, and public partners. 

We strive to continually provide a high quality environmental education experience to the Denver inner city community.  WOW Colorado is a unique program that introduces urban youth, ages eight to eleven, to outdoor recreation and environmental education during a twenty‑four hour camping experience.  Unlike other camping and recreation programs, WOW Colorado focuses upon bringing the wonders and excitement of camping and the environment to those who might not otherwise have the opportunity.  This approach to the children most in need ensures the wonders of camping are available to all, regardless of financial situation and setting.   WOW Colorado seeks to provide this experience to urban youth to foster basic camping skills and encourage youth to further enjoy the outdoors.  Activities emphasize team-building and outdoor education towards the end of instilling a sense of ownership and responsibility in campers to appreciate and maintain their great outdoors.

Check out WOW National www.wownational.org