Wilderness Inquiry (WI) partnered with Hennepin County Medical Center’s Taking Steps Together program to take 21 youth camping for the very first time. This opportunity was funded through generous support from the Pohlad Family Foundation.
About The Trip to Itasca State Park
Six WI guides made the 4-hour, 200-plus mile trek with 21 youth from Minneapolis to Itasca State Park in Park Rapids, Minnesota. Itasca is best know for being the Headwaters of the Mississippi River.
The group camped at the Elk Lake Group Site for four days. During the trip, the youth paddled Voyageur canoes around Elk Lake, swam, and hiked near the campsite. They climbed the fire tower to get a great view of the park and played soccer when they returned to the spacious camp. They met with a Minnesota State Park naturalist for an interpretive talk. They made healthy meals like scrambled eggs, hummus and tabbouleh, and ratatouille. In the evening, they roasted s’mores and told stories by the campfire as they fended off the mosquitos.
About the Taking Steps Together Program
Taking Steps Together (TST) is a unique community-based childhood obesity intervention program. It is run through the Pediatric Department of Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) and supported by HCMC’s Hennepin Health Foundation. TST received funding from the Pohlad Family Foundation to make this trip possible.
The 16-week-long, participatory programs consistently have a lengthy waiting list. Program cycles run year-round. Children are referred into the program by their primary care providers, and the entire family is asked to participate with the referred child. TST is free of charge for everyone. Weekly programming classes are held in Minneapolis Parks and Recreation community centers that are easily accessible for participants by walking or bus. These community centers offer a kitchen for cooking and a park area or gym for physical activity. Taking youth camping for the first time with Wilderness Inquiry was a natural fit with the goals of the TST program.
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