By Bay Area Wilderness Training.
Throughout the month of September, Bay Area Wilderness Training (BAWT), a local non-profit, located just a couple miles away from Great Western Power Company in the heart of Oakland, will be partnering with Bay Area Touchstone gyms to collect donations of used outdoor gear. On Saturday October 5th, BAWT will be hosting a Used Gear Garage Sale out of their Oakland Headquarters to sell any donated gear that cannot be utilized in their gear libraries. RSVP to the event here, and come learn more about BAWT at one of these tabling events below:
Tuesday 9/3: The Studio, 6-9pm
Tuesday 9/10: Dogpatch Boulders, 6-9pm
Thursday 9/12: Diablo Rock Gym, 6-9pm
Tuesday 9/17: Great Western Power Company, 6-9pm
Tuesday 9/24: Berkeley Ironworks, 6-9pm
Thursday 9/26: Mission Cliffs, 6-9pm
About BAWT
BAWT’s mission is to provide equitable access to outdoor experiences for youth of color and low-income youth across the Bay Area. BAWT achieves its mission by providing outdoor leadership trainings to teachers and youth workers, as well as maintains three gear libraries across the Bay Area—in Oakland, San Francisco, and Milpitas. Upon completion of leadership training courses, course alumni have access to borrowing gear—tents, sleeping bags, hiking boots, baselayers, and more—free of charge. By removing significant barriers of access to the outdoors, BAWT is enabling people who have not typically been represented in the outdoors a gateway to new and meaningful outdoor experiences.
Upon completion of leadership training courses, course alumni have access to borrowing gear—tents, sleeping bags, hiking boots, baselayers, and more—free of charge.
BAWT utilizes a unique Train-the-Trainer model, ensuring that the youth being taken out on trips already have a connection to their trip leaders. BAWT relies on the investment that teachers, youth workers, and community leaders have already made in the lives of their young people. BAWT gives these leaders the knowledge, confidence, and resources to lead their own trips, and teaches culturally relevant lessons, and uses the outdoors as a place for learning for any curriculum. Since 1999, BAWT has trained over 2,500 leaders serving 76,590 youth.
BAWT has many ways to get involved, from volunteer nights, corporate volunteer events, wilderness trainings, events, and more. If you’d like to get involved or volunteer with BAWT, fill out this form. If you’re interested in taking a training, check out their course offerings here!
