Adventure Risk Challenge

Adventure Risk Challenge (ARC) is an outdoor education nonprofit dedicated to facilitating transformational opportunities for rural, low-income and English Learner high school students. Our mission is to empower underserved youth through integrated leadership, literacy, and wilderness experiences.

Since our founding in 2004, ARC has had over 300 summer graduates and over 2,500 year-round participants. Originally a summer-only program in Truckee/Tahoe, we have grown to be a three-site, year-round organization with a multi-year progression of programs:

• Month-long Summer Immersion Courses that incorporate hundreds of hours of academics with daily physical fitness, multiple backpacking expeditions and other outdoor adventures. Each course is based at a University of California field station, where backcountry transitions, special events, and service projects take place. An independence progression is designed to turn leadership over to students before their graduation and all course components result in culminating events. 
• The Community Leadership Program is a multi-year progression that begins with a 9th-grade cohort of Rising Leaders. Each cohort experiences weekly leadership trainings and cohort meetings; one-on-one support from ARC staff; a progression of outdoor experiences and trips; and a youth-led community project at the end of each year. Graduates have access to weekly coaching and peer instructor opportunities within the program, as well as  a $1,000 scholarship for post-secondary education.

ARC’s goal is to close the achievement and health gap for underserved high school students. Our outcome objectives include:

1. A 99% on-time high school graduation rate and an 80% enrollment rate at a 2- or 4-year university.
2. A 10% average increase on pre- and post-test SAT questions.
3. A statistically-significant increase in development assets, including commitment to learning and positive identity, as measured by the DAP (Developmental Assets Profile).