Keeping Kids on Track

For more than a century, Trail Blazers has given disadvantaged city kids in New York and New Jersey the opportunity to leave behind car fumes and urban stresses for country air and outdoor recreation.

On weekends in the winter, and for one- and three-week sessions during the summer, the charity leads children from age 9 to 18 on camping adventures on a 1,000-acre site in northern New Jersey. The children, many of whom are referred to the camp by social-service organizations and schools, learn a variety of physical and social skills designed to turn them into successful adults.

The program was founded in 1887 by John Ames Mitchell, the first editor of Life magazine.

“It started out as a summer program to fatten kids and get them out into the country,” says Pam Gregory, the executive director. Over the years, she says, the program evolved to incorporate innovative ways of dealing with challenges faced by city kids who are exposed to violent crime, drug and alcohol abuse, and other problems.

The camp emphasizes habits that promote health and productivity. Each child, for example, is assigned a role, be it cook, waitress, or handyman. Together, the kids learn about nutrition and plan healthful meals. They explore the woods and natural world around the campground and learn about conserving natural resources.

Trail Blazers pledges a three-year commitment to each of the 300 or so kids it works with each year, but many stay in the program for longer, returning year after year to take part in summer and winter camping trips.

Selected older teenagers, such as those shown here, participate in the charity’s leadership-training program, completing outdoor challenge courses that require them to work together, and serving as guides and role models for younger children.

Says Ms. Gregory, “Being a part of the program allows kids to leave behind stereotypes.”