Outdoor Travel Program for Homeless and Low Income Teens Teaching Life Skills

717.943.5414

Driving distances from Central PA:

Los Angeles: 2680 mi.
Salt Lake City: 2049 mi.
Denver: 1661 mi.
New York City: 174 mi.
St. Louis: 791 mi.
Aspen: 1814 mi.
San Francisco: 2782 mi.
Grand Canyon: 2262 mi.
Mount Rushmore: 1486 mi.
Yosemite Nat'l. Park: 2764 mi.
Yellowstone Nat'l. Park: 2058 mi.

The Web This site

Rob Golden Photography

www.compu-friend.com

Golden Health and Fitness

Why we do what we do...

Rob Golden founded GO WEST!!! USA in the early 90's as a life changing, nonprofit educational organization for homeless and low income teens. It is a program that through it's 21 day cross country expeditions, promotes self-esteem, positive choice, leadership and teamwork among youth, ages 13 to 18. We challenge the teens who take part in our program to step out of their comfort zone and into the adventure zone. We travel by van, we sleep in tents at state and National Parks (no hotels for us), and we cook our own food. The teens must also take part in our Volunteer America program, a program that has the teens performing over 40 hours of volunteer service

Slideshow

All of our qualified GO WEST!!! USA adult volunteers have had both State Police, and FBI background checks and must also be First Aid and CPR certified. Our number one priority is the safety and welfare of your child.

In many cases, this is the first time these teens have left their own neighborhoods. These are the types of youth that GO WEST!!! USA is specifically targeting. Through our environmental adventures, we exists to motivate and inspire them to make positive choices. We are dedicated to helping our young people become more active in their lives and the lives of others.

With the advent of video games, television, the Internet... the list goes on and on, its no wonder that obesity and inactivity (and the illnesses that result from these conditions) are considered to be some of our nation's biggest healthcare challenges. Approximately one in five children in the US between the ages of six and 17 is overweight, that number has more than doubled in the past 30 years.

Create Your Own

Some GO WEST!!! USA Memories

On a GO WEST!!! USA expedition, youth between the ages of 13 and 18 are provided an opportunity to take part in backpacking and hiking expeditions normally outside their reach. Recent expeditions have been to Aspen, CO, Yellowstone National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Yosemite National Park and many other places where they learned to appreciate and be concerned about the environment. To qualify for these expeditions, potential participants must demonstrate their commitment to the program by enthusiastically participating in planned events, workshops, and fundraisers.

At GO WEST!!! USA our mission is to promote positive choices, self-esteem, leadership qualities, and team work among teens using nature as an educational setting. Our philosophy is that nature is a safe environment to develop and promote self-esteem, positive leadership qualities, teamwork and a positive attitude toward life. Our goals are to inspire youth towards alternative challenges that are guided by positive role model adults and peers.

Program Goals:

· Transform Lives

· Build healthy peer relationships

· Provide educational awareness

· Promote environmental consciousness

· Provide a source of support and motivation

· Provide physical conditioning

· Provide more exposure to other people and cultures

Parents and students who are already enrolled click here:

info@gowestusa.org

User Agreement

A Little More About Us...
GO WEST!!! USA is not designed to correct "bad" behavior, but instead to be a haven of enthusiasm, respect, trust and responsibility. Disrespectful behavior requiring extensive attention or breaking the law will result in dismissal. Click here to download a copy of our Youth Application which clearly defines the boundaries of our program.

GO WEST!!! USA is not just a three week vacation for the teens who participate. They must demonstrate a willingness to work together, before and during the expedition. They must participate in the fundraisers and community service events. During the expeditions, the teens must (all chores are supervised and/or taught):

Fuel the Vehicles
Wash dishes
Setup/Break Camp
Wash Vehicle
Hike over 100 miles
Cook Meals
Check Tire Pressure
Change Motor Oil
Carry Firewood
Change Tires
and much more!

With an introduction to:

Astronomy
Forestry
Orienteering
Guitar 101
Nature Photography

"Many of our teens here in Central PA have never even seen a starry moonlit night. "
- Rob

Our Expeditions are both physically and mentally challenging, but in the end we fully expect the experience to be one of the most rewarding in the lives of the teens who participate.

Links

* Pledge Form
* Donation Form
* Adult Application
* Adobe Acrobat Reader
* Compu-Friend
* Oxymorons
* Sponsor Sheet

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Latest Newsletter

Links * Pledge Form * Donation Form * Adult Application * Adobe Acrobat Reader * Compu-Friend * Oxymorons * Sponsor Sheet

Links

* Pledge Form
* Donation Form
* Adult Application
* Adobe Acrobat Reader
* Compu-Friend
* Oxymorons
* Sponsor Sheet