Teens Outside!

What follows is the program plan specific to the Teens Outside! initiative that will be developed within the existing Club Chameleon framework and community. As you know Club Chameleon was already an established program before the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) implemented this program. However, we felt that the Teens Outside! initiative gave us the perfect opportunity to enhance our current program with additional items that would also benefit our Club Chameleon kids. Those teens chosen to participate in part of the program will be training with certified instructors along with the core staff of Club Chameleon. By using certified instructors and safety-checked equipment, we believe that we are able to minimize any risks involved in either of the two advanced outdoor activities.

Overall Goals:

• To teach 12 older Club Chameleon members more advanced skills in kayaking.
• To teach 12 older Club Chameleon members more advanced skills in rock climbing
• To involve these Club Chameleon members in two new outings to utilize those skills
• To provide an opportunity for these senior Club Chameleon members to mentor 9-year-olds in the community
• To offer a fly fishing trip and training to 20 members of Club Chameleon in order to ensure the benefits of the initiative is accessible to all members chosen through the selection process
• To have at least one teen with a disability participate in the advanced skills initiative
• To offer an opportunity to participate in the annual Great American Backyard Campout to all Club Chameleon members and their families at the Fisher Cats Arena in Manchester, NH
• To have a culminating event at the end of the year to celebrate Teens Outside!

Overall Program Content

Advanced Skills in Kayaking
Twelve Teens ages 13 - 16 who have been with the club long enough to learn basic kayaking skills will be chosen to participate in this Teens Outside! pilot. The first aspect of this program will be for them to be instructed at UNH’s indoor pool to learn advanced kayaking skills such as rolls. After the preliminary training has been completed, they will then spend a weekend in August using some of their newly acquired skills.

Advanced Skills in Rock Climbing
Twelve teens ages 13 - 16 who have also been with the club long enough to learn basic rock climbing skills will be chosen to work on additional climbing skills such as rappelling, tying and advanced top roping skills. The initial rock climbing skills will be taught at UNH ‘s Browne Center and then at Pawtuckaway State Park in Raymond, NH. This weekend trip will take place in May.

Club Chameleon Teen Mentors
After both sets of older teens have completed their advanced training in kayaking and rock climbing, those Chameleon members serve as mentors to younger children (age 9) who will be entering the Club Chameleon program in the near future. They will teach these new children basic level skills in rock climbing or kayaking.

The Great American Campout
We will also be participating in the annual Great American Backyard Campout on June 23rd. We will be inviting Chameleon kids and their friends and families to the Fisher Cats Arena in Manchester, NH. We anticipate 200 people involved in this event, and Lebanon Recreation has been invited to join us with their Teens Outside! Program. The Fisher Cats are the AA team for the Toronto Blue Jays. We will be attending the baseball game, then spending the night on the field itself. We will also be putting together an Outdoor Recreation Expo where we will have outdoor retailers displaying equipment. This way we can promote the love of the outdoors and hopefully encourage more people to spend time outside.

New Adventure Trip: Fly-Fishing
Because we are selecting older kids for the more advanced skills, we wanted to include another piece to the program where every Chameleon teen was eligible to be selected to participate. We decided on trying a new sport the kids had never done before - fly-fishing. We have two fly-fishing experts who will be training 20 teens on land, then on a stocked pond. Once the kids have mastered the rods, we will take them on a fly-fishing weekend to try their new skills.

"Pay if Forward" Community Service
Because community service is a major part of Club Chameleon, we will participate in a "pay it forward" project this summer to support our community members and to thank them for supporting Club Chameleon.

The Big Event
The last piece that we will implement is a culminating event to celebrate the Teens Outside! initiative and all that it brought to the program. The plans for this are under way, but will need to be logistically worked out. All of these aspects of our Teens Outside! initiative will fit within our mission of Club Chameleon, and further our goal to help our teens live healthy, happy lives. The Club’s support system will continue to be strengthened through programming and investment by our volunteer staff, and it is our hope that the teen population in Newmarket grows beyond their small community and that these kids will make a difference in their world.

Partnering:

Along with the NRPA and the Outdoor Industry Foundation, we will also be partnering with the University of New Hampshire’s Outdoor Education Department, the Fisher Cats Arena, two professional fly fishermen, Eastern Fishing and Outdoor Exposition, Inc., Eastern Mountain Sports, the University of New Hampshire’s Life Skills Department, the Department of Children, Youth and Families, and local businesses in the area. If you know an organization or business that would like to partner with us in this initiative, give us a call ASAP so that we may establish them early on in this program.

Teens Outside! Program Timelines

A Special Note from the Club Chameleon Director

Speaking on behalf of the children and staff, we are very excited to be selected to participate in the Teens Outside! national program. We have had many of the older teens express an interest in the advanced skils aspect of this program, therefore we would appreciate that if they do sign up to be possibly selected in either advanced activity course, that they are committed to all aspects of the program. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me @ 659-8581.

Thank you for your continued support of the program and your child’s continued success in life.

Sincerely,
Anneliese Fisher
Club Chameleon Director