Like all expeditions, Fresh Tracks has a vital purpose: to ignite the futures of emerging leaders. Fresh Tracks expeditions bring together participants from urban, rural, and indigenous communities for immersive opportunities that unlock the power of the outdoors to unite and inspire. Watch the pilot expedition video here: https://vimeo.com/184368383 #freshtracksaction
My name is Juan Martinez. When I was growing up in Los Angeles, I came to a crossroads. One path was leading to trouble. Fortunately, I got an opportunity that saved my life. It was a chance to do something right and help create a better tomorrow. Now itâs my turn to pay that forward for other young people through a program called Fresh Tracks.
See the video of the Fresh Tracks pilot expedition here
Bringing a Presidentâs Vision to Life
Fresh Tracks started with a Presidentâs vision. President Obama, inspired by his visit to Arctic Alaska in 2015, issued a call for new programs that would use the outdoors to help young Americans facing persistent opportunity gaps reach their full potential as learners, leaders, and citizens.
That call to action sparked a bold idea - Fresh Tracks. We found devoted allies in the City of Compton, Mayor Aja Brown, and the My Brotherâs Keeper initiative. Making it all possible were our founding champions, the Campion Foundation and REI, who have supported Fresh Tracks since the beginning.
Iâll never forget the first expedition. Two cohorts of aspiring leaders from Los Angeles and Alaska traveled from southern California to the Arctic Circle, climbed the highest peak in the Santa Monica mountains, participated in leadership workshops at USC, met with Mayor Brown at Compton City Hall, flew to Alaska, learned about Native cultures in Fairbanks, and sat together on the edge of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and absorbed into our hearts what it meant to be citizens of the world. Just like I had been, these were young people at a crossroads. I believe Fresh Tracks helped put them on a path to leadership.
Empowering Leaders
I am proud to see the Fresh Tracks Journey continue. Over the next year we are laying the groundwork to reach 100 more young leaders through training expeditions located in different regions of the country. This is where creating a better tomorrow starts. Each expedition will bring together participants from the urban and indigenous communities for 3-5 days of cultural sharing, outdoor exploration, and leadership training provided by mentors from the Natural Leaders Network.
All of this is only possible through collaboration on a national and local level. The My Brotherâs Keeper Alliance, Center for Native American Youth, and Generation Indigenous, are all inspirations for this work, and instrumental recruiting partners, connecting Fresh Tracks to young people hungry for the same kind of opportunity that I was given, an opportunity born of empowerment, the chance to give back and move forward through education and career development, and the chance to make a positive impact. When Fresh Tracks talks about empowering young leaders, we mean much more than workshops and certificates. Fresh Tracks means mentorship. It means building a community that cares about the individual. And it means allowing participants to develop the community organizing tools they need to turn their dreams into action.
I have watched our Fresh Tracks participants grow into leaders. I was there when they spoke at a roundtable on youth, diversity, and the outdoors in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. I witnessed eight of our alumni reunite in July to pass their knowledge on to a new cohort of Fresh Tracks participants at the National Conservation Training Center in West Virginia. And I stood with them at the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial in Washington DC as we reflected on Dr. Kingâs dream of different cultures uniting to create resilient communities.
Who are these young leaders? They are all of us, from every region of the country. Thanks to our recruiting partners, the My Brotherâs Keeper Alliance, the Center for Native American Youth, and Generation Indigenous, they are from Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, and indigenous communities in Arizona, Oklahoma, and South Dakota. They have come together to learn from each other what it means to be leaders in their communities as they build new skills in advocacy, cultural understanding, community organizing, and communications.Â
Facing some of the greatest challenges of our time - poverty, violence, climate change - they are rising up together to say - not I can do this or I will do this, but I AM DOING THIS. In a world where divisive cultural issues are front-page news, here is the future of our country, not divided, but coming together to listen, learn, and embrace new perspectives.
âThe summit was transformative for me on so many levels. But it was a personal experience with nature that left the greatest impression on me...I can honestly say I havenât been at that level of peace in an extremely long time, if ever. Being a 6â˛3âł young Black man from Chicago, I donât often have the luxury of being at peace.â
Jarrett Jones, 2017 Trainer Summit
The Journey Continues
Fresh Tracks is now ready to help advance three pillars of the Obama legacy: empowering youth facing opportunity gaps through the My Brotherâs Keeper Alliance, supporting native youth through Generation Indigenous, and connecting all young people with opportunities to explore and care for Americaâs public lands.
We know it works. With evaluation led by the USC Marshall School of Business, we have shown that the first Fresh Tracks expedition increased participant knowledge and skills around key objectives, especially civic engagement, cultural competency, interpersonal leadership and communication, and environmental stewardship and justice.Â
Over the next year, our goal is to train 100 young leaders through four training expeditions. Together with the My Brotherâs Keeper Alliance and the Center for Native American Youth, we are committed to empowering more diverse young adults to address the most pressing social and environmental challenges facing their communities. When I was the same age they are now, I got an opportunity that saved my life. I believe by working together, Fresh Tracks can offer that same hope to a new generation of leaders.
My name is Jarrett Jones and I'd like to thank you for taking the time to read my story about one of my first real encounters with nature.....
"I left many of these conversations throughout the duration of the camp with what I believe will be a lifetime of knowledge. With the realization that we share similar hardships, I feel the urge to do more and to learn more.
The summit was transformative for me on so many levels. But it was a personal experience with nature that left the greatest impression on me."
Read more about Jarrettâs experience at the 2017 Trainer Summit on the From the Field Blog
Last month, Kimberly took yet another step, leading a hike with her fellow University of Alaska Fairbanks students at Angel Rocks in Fairbanks, Alaska!
From being a participant on a hike in the USFWS Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, to leading hikes of her own, the journey continues.
I want to help the participants in the Natural Leaders Training to understand that life can be extremely hard and throughout those tough times, they can find positive outlets in nature or any other activity that is positive and healthy. - Cierra Gunderson, Los Angeles (Fresh Tracks 2016 alum)
Fresh Tracks showed me that sometimes you got to lead in order to accomplish anything and that sometimes you have to follow a leadership to learn guidance. I would love to teach another participant that itâs okay to look for guidance and okay to lead in a situation where you're comfortable.- Jaysanna Wiehl, Arctic Village, Alaska (Fresh Tracks 2016 alum)
Personally, my Fresh Tracks experience gave me a better understanding of myself and the way I value relationships. Meeting people I wasn't sure to gain a bond with and developing a sense of importance through the training I feel has prepared me to set a higher standard to the way I mentally asses and approach future endeavors. - Cameron Williamson, Los Angeles (Fresh Tracks 2016 alum)
Fresh Tracks definitely changed the way I think about how I see the world and the issues communities face with stereotypes, wealth, the health and well being of society, and even people's day to day lives. I also think Fresh Tracks contributed to me being more open with people and confident with my opinions and thoughts. I see a difference on how I interact with people because I seem less shy and more outgoing than I was a year ago. - Kimberly Pikok, Barrow, Alaska (Fresh Tracks 2016 alum)
âHow would they ever know things about this in the middle of Compton?â - Dexter Armstrong, Park Ranger at Denali National Park. Watch the full Fresh Tracks video at:Â https://vimeo.com/184368383.
âPart of My Brotherâs Keeper program emphasis is really about mentorship, exposure, and really connecting young people to new opportunities. And Fresh Tracks does all three of those.â - Mayor Aja Brown, City of Compton. Watch the full video at: https://vimeo.com/184368383
âOne thing I want to do is to steer young people off the streets and off of gang life. Fresh Tracks has really inspired me to go out and do something, and not just have an idea.â - Jared Savage, Compton resident and Fresh Tracks participant. Watch the full video at:Â https://vimeo.com/184368383
âThe one thing that really excited me about Fresh Tracks is getting the participants from Los Angeles to come up here to Alaska and seeing their faces; thatâs really special to me.â - Esau Sinnok, resident of Shishmaref, Alaska and Fresh Tracks participant. Watch the full video:Â https://vimeo.com/184368383.
âOne challenge that the Alaska community is facing is definitely climate change. Our past winters have been very short and there has been very little snow. The natives that live up in Alaska are concerned for their villages and sources of food. One way that I think our community can address these problems is through education, definitely starting with the young ones so that they know whatâs happening and that they can make a change.
Iâm excited to share the beautiful scenery that we have in Alaska with the LA folks. When Tom Campion came and showed his Save the Arctic video I was kind of touched. It made me miss home a lot more and appreciate what Alaska is and what it can offer people.â
- Vaitupu Rachael Lima, Fresh Tracks participant from Anchorage, Alaska.Â
âIslandWood has been an absolutely amazing experience, not just for me but for my peers as well. I can hear the birds chirp; I can hear the leaves rustle; I can see the trees swaying in the breeze. Iâve never been really this in-tune with nature before, and itâs really nice to get away from all the buildings and pollution, and just come out to fresh air, fresh trees, fresh food, fresh everything.
Itâs been a great middle point for the groups to find common ground. Coming to an outdoor place and meeting for the first time here was perfect because you can really see that even though we come from two different places, we have so much stuff in common. We all respect and love nature in the same way.
What I see in the media about Alaska is not how my Alaskan peers are describing it. What Iâve seen is ice, igloos, and polar bears. But now Iâm learning about their culture...how they still hunt for caribou and fish, how they hang it up to dry. Their families are so in tune with one another and their culture.â
- Jared Savage, Fresh Tracks participant from Compton, California with  Natawnee, a Fresh Tracks participant from Alaska.
âMy favorite Fresh Tracks moment so far was definitely at REI when we were doing the rock climbing wall. I had done the easy wall, and that was loads of fun. I saw one of my friends doing the hard one, and I asked the belayer if he thought I could do it. He said, âI think you can do it if you want to do it.â
I got up there. I was pacing myself. I was going really well. I was almost to the top, probably about five feet from it. And there was a gap between the rocks and I was already exhausted. So I looked down and I said, âIâm done, I canât go any further.â
Now I get why they did this but at the time I was not very happy about it, but I just saw some of the adults and teenagers say, âWeâre not letting you down until you finish. Keep going. Donât stop.â I know that sounds cliche but this is actually what happened. I was tired, I was trying to go on and I couldnât, but they were not letting me down until I finished that course. So after a few minutes of just struggling up there I found a way, I made it to the top and I rang that bell. And when I did, everybody was cheering me on and saying, âCongrats, you did great!â And that was a really incredible moment. It was my Fresh Tracks moment so far. (Of course, on my way down they tried to hang me like Spider-Man)Â
What I take from that experience, is that I can push myself farther than what I think I can do. If I set limits on myself, I wonât be able to reach my full potential.â
- Jared Savage, Fresh Tracks participant from Compton, California
âI feel like the leadership skills Iâm learning here, Iâll be able to take home to my community. The qualities of a good leader is not just telling people what to do, but listening and taking their advice as well.
Iâm looking forward to learning how climate change is affecting Alaska; I think itâs worse there than here. We need to advocate for them as well. Iâve learned from the Alaskan participants that in some of their villages, the water is rising because the polar ice caps are melting. We need to conserve our fossil resources and use less of them to help with that water level.â
-Floyd R. Johnson II, Fresh Tracks participant from Long Beach, California, leads the way on the teams course at IslandWood.
âI see Fresh Tracks helping me become a leader by giving me the skills to communicate with my community. I actually have an idea of starting my own leadership camp in Barrow for younger kids.
My favorite Fresh Tracks moment so far was at the canopy tower. That was so beautiful up there. Iâm not used to seeing trees and all that big space, hearing the birds...oh my the air, the humidity.Â
I see a lot of cool things on TV about California, but Iâm a little nervous about seeing LA. Big cities scare me, and big crowds of people are intimidating to me. What Iâve learned from the California group is that they are facing pollution issues and they canât breathe clean air like I can.â
-Kimberly Pikok, Fresh Tracks participant from Barrow, Alaska. Photo taken during the ropes course team building exercise at IslandWood.
