RISE in Action: Building Pathways to Careers and Opportunity

At Winter4Kids, we know that meaningful change happens through collaboration. Our partnership with the Annie E. Casey Foundation is a powerful example of how organizations can work together to create new opportunities for young people while addressing real workforce needs.

Thanks to funding from the Foundation, we piloted an apprenticeship program designed to support young men involved in the juvenile justice system while introducing them to careers in the outdoor recreation and ski industry. The program provided hands on job training, mentorship, and direct exposure to an industry facing a growing shortage of skilled workers. The impact was significant.

Participants gained valuable workplace experience and built connections with professionals who often came from the same neighborhoods and communities. Those relationships helped make career opportunities feel attainable and provided a clear example of what success could look like beyond the program.

The apprenticeship also created pathways to full time employment at ski areas across the country. Most importantly, it demonstrated that justice involved workforce development programs can be successful when young people are provided with the right support, training, and opportunities.

One of the most meaningful outcomes of this partnership was the impact the apprentices had on the students we serve. Coming from many of the same neighborhoods and communities as our participants, they provided a powerful example of what is possible when opportunity meets support. Students were able to see young adults who looked like them, shared similar experiences, and were successfully building careers in the outdoor industry. Those connections helped make future possibilities feel more attainable, reinforcing the message that outdoor recreation can be more than a program; it can be a pathway to personal growth, employment, and long-term success.

From a Winter4Kids perspective, the program brought our RISE Framework (Resilience, Inclusion, Support, and Empowerment) to life in a new way.

Participants built resilience by overcoming challenges and developing new skills. They experienced inclusion by becoming part of a professional workforce community. They received support from mentors and employers invested in their success. Most importantly, they gained empowerment through meaningful employment opportunities and a clearer vision for their future.

For the students we serve, these apprentices became living examples of what is possible. Their journeys demonstrated that outdoor recreation can be more than an activity, it can be a pathway to confidence, career growth, and long-term opportunity. That is the power of partnership.