Grand Canyon Youth Inc

Provides customized expeditions for schools and youth groups that align with academic curricula or established educational goals, serving youth from the same community or institution through structured outdoor learning experiences on Southwest rivers and canyons.

Offers educational outdoor expeditions for young people in the rivers and canyons of the Southwest, ranging from one-day trips to nine-day extended expeditions. These expeditions focus on learning, adventure, and teamwork, and have connected thousands of youth to these environments over the past 20 years.

Organizes youth into small rotating crews to share responsibilities including cooking, dishwashing, running community science projects, and setting up camp systems, and requires participants to complete 2 hours of community service for each day of their expedition as a pre-trip requirement.

Provides group and school expeditions that align with school curricula or established educational objectives for youth from the same community.

Operates individual expeditions that youth can apply to independently, featuring a curriculum tied to expedition locations and fostering community among diverse participants.

Offers outdoor expeditions on rivers and in canyons of the Southwest, ranging from one-day to nine-day trips, designed for youth aged 10–18 with age-specific eligibility requirements. Expeditions emphasize learning, adventure, teamwork, and leadership development, with curriculum tied to the ecological, geological, and historical context of the region.

Develops outdoor leadership skills in youth through structured responsibilities during expeditions, including boarding and disembarking boats multiple times daily, carrying personal gear up to 30 pounds, hiking with heavy backpacks (up to 25 lbs for 7+ miles), and rotating crew duties such as cooking, dishwashing, and camp setup.

Supports expedition preparation through weekly pre-trip emails containing educational materials on the ecology, geology, and history of the expedition area. Requires participants to complete 2 hours of community service for each day of their expedition prior to departure.

Facilitates team-based outdoor leadership development for middle school youth during rafting and hiking expeditions on the San Juan River.

Engages youth in hands-on community science projects during multi-day expeditions, including emergent insect monitoring and acoustic bat monitoring in partnership with the US Geological Survey and National Park Service. Youth participate in data collection and are organized into rotating crews responsible for running these scientific initiatives.

Provides pre-trip educational programming through weekly emails that include articles, discussion questions, and videos related to the ecology, geology, and history of the expedition region.

Operates River Rampage, serving youth from Arizona with diverse physical and mental abilities through outdoor expeditions.

Engages youth in community science data collection during multi-day expeditions in partnership with the United States Geological Survey and National Park Service, including emergent insect monitoring and acoustic bat monitoring.

Runs multi-day wilderness expeditions specifically for youth with shared life experiences such as disability, foster care involvement, family trauma, or interaction with the criminal justice system. Includes The Healing Lands Project for trauma-affected youth and River Rampage for youth with diverse physical and mental abilities.

Runs peer support expeditions that bring together youth with shared life experiences such as disability, foster care involvement, or family trauma for multi-day wilderness adventures.

Operates The Healing Lands Project, which connects youth who have experienced trauma, including survivors of domestic violence, those in the foster care system, and those interacting with the criminal justice system, with nature experiences.