outside perspectives
Outside. Unplugged. Connected. Empowered.
Outside Perspectives is a nonprofit organization that partners with schools and organizations to offer transformative outdoor programs, using wilderness as a powerful tool for positive change. Our approach, grounded in the rite-of-passage framework, aims to reconnect youth with themselves, their peers, and their community, creating lasting impacts through structured, progressive experiences in the outdoors.
October 10th - 14th
This is an opportunity for our community to experience an OP-style expedition while raising awareness and critical funding for our mission.
Sign up to raise funds for OP and embark on the adventure of a lifetime, and paddle the wooded banks of the Raquette River between Long Lake and Tupper Lake!
On this expedition, you're not just paddling through breathtaking landscapes; you're opening a world of possibilities for kids all over CT!
PADDLE FOR A PURPOSE VIRTUAL INFO SESSIONS
Click the button below to add it to your
Google Calendar!
featured: Outside perspectives
Click on the image of the CT Woodlands Magazine to read the article titled "Going Outside to Find What is Within" by our talented Outsider and ambassador of our mission, Jennifer Sprague!
Coba EXpedition 2023
Two COBA crews went on our 4-day Classic Expedition in August. Watch their epic adventure unfold!
Participant Stories
Watch this video to hear stories from four of our Alumni Participants. These inspiring young women share the impact their experience with Outside Perspectives has had on them.
Our Mission
Outside Perspectives cultivates lasting personal growth and positive community engagement by offering a spectrum of transformative outdoor experiences.
PARTNERSHIP &
PROGRAMMING GUIDE
Our Partnership & Programming Guide will give you a complete overview of our Mission, Partnership Model, Rite-of-Passage Framework, and Programming.
Use the button below to check it out!
OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVES
PARTNERSHIP & PROGRAMMING GUIDE
Our Partnership & Programming Guide will give you a complete overview of our Mission, Partnership Model, Rite-of-Passage Framework, and Programming.
Use the button below to check it out!
our impact
The COBA Crew puts powerful emotions into words, describing the impact of their expedition, during their final debrief.
an expedition
Watch a short video about the Central City 2021 Boys Expedition. Get a sneak peek at the challenges, accomplishments, and growth that happen over four days.
testimonials
The Bristol Boys & Girls Club participants share what they learned, how they felt, and why they feel an Expedition is a must for all youth.
Our 2023 Season in numbers...
...including a whole lot of super important FIRSTS!
annual reporT 2023
We want our community to see the impact of their support and generosity over the past year!
You can click through the slides to the left or use the button below to download a pdf.
get your group outside!
Our programming calendar for 2024 is filling up!
Click the button below to schedule an introductory call with us.
We will use this time to get to know your organization's goals and needs and discuss our Partnership Model and programming.
BUILD PARTNERSHIPS FOR A PURPOSE
Our Unique Partnership Model
Outside Perspectives takes an innovative approach to connecting youth through transformative wilderness experiences. Rather than recruiting individuals for programming, we use a Partnership Model to build long-standing partnerships with other youth development organizations, schools, and teams in the community.
This means we work with our partner organizations year after year to build lasting relationships with the participants, as well as the staff, to support a sense of lasting community and personal growth on and off the trail. We work with our partners to ensure that our programming is free of any cost to our participants and their families.
Choose your own amount or become a monthly donor to have a lasting impact on providing immersive wilderness experiences for our youth!
Hear participant stories, learn about our community partnerships, stay up to date on events and opportunities, follow along with our programs, and witness the impact!
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel to witness the power of transformative wilderness experiences!
You will stay up to date on what our programming looks like, sounds like, and feels like for our participants. Hear directly from the youth themselves and witness the positive impact of time on the trail with OP.
our values
Diversity / Inclusion
Outside Perspectives recognizes a need for more diversity in the outdoors. We will address this need by connecting minority youth with the outdoors through building intentional program partnerships in underserved communities.
Accessibility
Outside Perspectives recognizes that some of the populations it works with might face significant physical, emotional, or financial challenges to participation. Building a connection with nature is a human right, and we will strive not to turn down a participant due to any of their restraints.
Permanency
Outside Perspectives recognizes the importance of solid and long-lasting relationships in the lives of youth, especially for those who have experienced instability. We realize that one journey will not make lasting change; we will seek to continue relationships with our participants beyond their first program.
Community
Outside Perspectives recognizes the importance of active and connected communities. We strive to cultivate a warm and welcoming community for our supporters by giving them meaningful opportunities to contribute and a sense of belonging by promoting in-person connection and thoughtful gratitude.
Sustainability
Outside Perspectives recognizes how easy it can be to have an unintentional negative environmental impact on places we visit. We seek to teach and promote the importance of wild spaces, responsible stewardship, leave-no-trace ethics, and environmentally sustainable practices in our day-to-day routines.
Commitment
Outside Perspectives recognizes that stainable growth directly correlates to maintaining a high level of commitment from all involved parties. The staff are committed to the mission, the mission is committed to youth and their communities, youth and their communities are committed to the organization, the organization is committed to the staff.
Physical Location
Outside Perspectives, Inc.
37 Greenwoods Rd
Suite 19
New Hartford, CT 06057
Mailing Address
Outside Perspectives, Inc.
P.O. Box 576
545 Main Street
New Hartford, CT 06057