Recognition & Awards

Extra Extra! Recent National Development!

Kudos goes out to Club Chameleon for recently being designated as one of the 20 "Teens Outside!" pilots sites by the National Recreation & Park Association and the Outdoor Industry Foundation. 

That's right Chameleons, Club Chameleon, or rather one of the main ideas behind Club Chameleon, getting teens outside and closer to nature, is soon to become a national phenomenon.  By participating in this pilot program, Club Chameleon will be awarded funding and resources to support our existing programming which will solely focus on outdoor programming for our youth.  We will also continue to push forward with community and local outdoor retailers to help provide additional support.

OIF partnered with the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) to offer this program to selected communities through their local Parks and Recreation Departments.  After receiving an overwhelming number of applications, OIF, and NRPA selected 20 agencies based on their current community ties, teen programming, experience with outdoor recreation, focus on mentoring, and geographic diversity. 

Congratulations Chameleons for being recognized once again on a national level!  More details will follow on this amazing opportunity once the pilots sites get underway.

Club Chameleon is spreading the word on a national basis!

Club Chameleon, a Newmarket Teen Wilderness Program, was honored recently when program administrators Anneliese Fisher, Director of Club Chameleon and Aimee Gigandet, Assistant Recreation Director of Newmarket were chosen to speak at the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) Annual Conference in San Antonio, TX. Their purpose in speaking at this level was to spread the word of a great teen program to those recreation departments looking to start a teen wilderness therapy model in their area. The presenters also felt that the more Club Chameleon is marketed, the greater the impact for teens on a larger scale. What sets this teen program apart from the many others in the country is that at no time are the teens charged for any part of the adventure. The entire program is funded through grants, sponsorships and donations.

The national conference, held annually in a different region of the country, attracts more than 10,000 Recreation and Parks professionals. Learning that the Club Chameleon program was being addressed at this level was monumental for the Chameleon teens that have so much ownership in the program. Fisher and Gigandet were extremely satisfied with the outcome of their education session. They received numerous emails from all over the country looking for more detailed information about the program, including such major cities as San Diego and Denver.

The education session, entitled Club Chameleon: a Proven Teen Wilderness Model, was one of 200 selected out of more than 700 educational sessions submitted. We feel very honored that the Club Chameleon program was able to represent the Town of Newmarket and all of its supporters at national level.

Club Chameleon receives a New Hampshire Recreation and Parks Association State Honor.

Club Chameleon was awarded the 2005 New Hampshire State Recreation and Park Association's (NHRPA) prestigious Willie Shellnut Award for excellence in programming. The award was given out last May at the 2005 NHRPA State Awards Banquet. The Newmarket Recreation Department has received this award only three other times in its history. Again, for Club Chameleon to be recognized by state professional peers is truly a wonderful thing for the teens, our UNH outdoor education student collaborators, and all the volunteer staff who make this program happen each month.