2026 Youth Programming in Numbers
2026 brought substantial expansion to our youth programming and we couldn’t be more grateful! With the addition of a dedicated youth programming coordinator position, filled by Toby Crispin, we were able to more than double our programs and reach more youth in our community than ever before. Fueled by the creative vision of Toby and our Executive Director, Courtney Behnken, the 2026 season grew to six youth programs and four weeks of mountain bike camp. To compare, the prior 2025 season consisted of one afterschool program and two weeks of mountain bike camp. Our total impact was 112 youth, with many participating in multiple programs. The biggest reach was our youth mountain biking summer camp which grew to span four weeks, and served a total of 83 kids, most of whom are local to this area.
Toby has been a wonderful addition to our team and serves Slate Valley Trails as an AmeriCorps member. In addition to expanding programming opportunities, she has created a story book trail on the Veteran’s Trails in collaboration with Poultney Library, revived and improved our Teen Trail Blazers program, and expanded our loaner bike fleet (through a Moriah Wilson grant and donations by community members). Loaner bikes are essential to expanding accessibility for kids who don’t have access to a functional bike, opening up opportunities to connect with nature, other kids, and themselves in the process. Toby’s other accomplishments include continuing a downtown Poultney Bike Adventure program with the Poultney Rec Department, piloting guided monthly Family Ride outings, and starting a youth mountain bike team as part of Vermont Youth Cycling. Taconic Cycling Club, our youth mountain bike team, provided local kids an opportunity to continue growing as mountain bikers long after summer programming had ended, with practices running from July through October. Her expansion of youth programming has also included growing our volunteer base as we’ve recruited volunteer ride leaders for the group family rides and coaches for the youth mountain bike team.
In order to expand access to our mountain biking programs, financial aid was offered to families for youth bike camp, and ultimately nine free and two discounted bike camp spots were provided to youth, totaling $1,450 in cash In order to expand access to our mountain biking programs, financial aid was offered to families for youth bike camp, and ultimately nine free and two discounted bike camp spots were provided to youth, totaling $1,450 in cash value. Furthermore, our bike camp cost of $150 per child, per week is significantly below dollar value and is subsidized to provide an affordable and accessible camp experience for our youth. We strongly believe that this programming is an important investment in our youth and community, and all other youth programming opportunities are available at no cost.
All of our youth programs were fully funded by a combination of grants, private donors, and Slate Valley Trails’ annual fundraising funds (sourced from memberships and donations). Collectively, we received over $18,000 from grants and donors, while an additional $5000 from SVT funds were budgeted to our youth programs (sourced from annual fundraising funds via membership dues and donors)
Thank you to the following Grants that made Youth Programming Possible!
- Hills and Hollows Grant
- Anonymous donor
- Moriah Wilson Grant for loaner bikes
- VMBA VTYC Grant to start the Youth Race Team.
We are proud of our grassroots approach and our mission to get as many kids involved as possible.
Why Youth Programming?
In the winter of 2026, SVT board members met to discuss how community feedback would shape our organization’s next steps. Our 2026-2028 strategic plan was the culmination of these discussions, establishing four main pillars to guide the organization forward. One of these cornerstone pillars is to foster a healthy community, with the goal of providing “engaging, year-round recreation opportunities that are accessible, inclusive, and community-driven.” It was obvious to our board that expanding youth programming would be one of the most impactful, foundational steps we could take to help foster a healthy community and create a lasting impact that our youth can carry beyond programming, into their lives. To support this mission, we do our best to instill a “pay it forward” mentality, teaching our youth about the impact they can have on others and how they can be good neighbors, family members, and friends by welcoming those around them into their activities, and even teaching them new skills.
Beyond the well studied benefits of physical exercise, participation in outdoor recreation is linked to improved mental health, lower stress, increased immune function, and reduced disease rates. It would be challenging to overstate the impact that spending time in nature can have on a nervous system. The resulting sense of awe does wonders for an individual, especially our youth who are at a critical developmental stage in their lives’. The resiliency gained from facing challenges in the outdoors can be applied to everyday challenges or adversity, which instills a sense of empowerment and hope. This is an investment that we all reap the benefits from. Recreating outdoors can be a jumping off point for building community and forming connections to the land, which we recognize is correlated with better mental health outcomes. It also builds a new generation of leaders who will guide our community as they evolve into these positions of leadership along the way. Our youth board members, teen trailblazers, and youth counselors are all excellent examples of the types of leadership we get to bear witness to in our community. Undoubtedly, as these youth age and take on more prominent leadership roles in our community, they will carry lessons from our programming into their decision making.
Unfortunately, despite recognizing all the virtues of outdoor recreation, there are copious reasons for which we as a society don’t act on that knowledge, as we are currently spending more time indoors and on screens. Slate Valley Trails strives to create a community that challenges this norm. Increased screen use has been linked with inactivity, rising stress levels and anxiety, and a sense of loneliness. This is especially true among youth, who report spending an average of over 7 hours on screens each day (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2010). While all the trails in SVTs network are free for the public to use, barriers to entry prevent our youth and their families from using these resources. It can be intimidating to try something new and to navigate unfamiliar places. Access to programming introduces youth and their families to the wonder and fun that comes with outdoor recreation, helps them build a connection with our trails, and creates lifelong trail users and stewards.
We take tremendous pride in knowing that we were able to serve over 100 youth in 2026, and aim to match that number in 2027. Many of these youth regularly expressed how excited they were to share their skills and knowledge with family members and friends, so we imagine that the reach is even farther than our participant list. We believe that it is important to consider the power of “paying it forward” and strive to instill that core mission into the kids in our community. Hannah Gonzalez, a parent of two SVT youth, can attest to the broad reach of our programs. She shared:
“When our kids first enrolled in the SVT youth mountain bike camp, my husband and I had no prior experience with mountain biking. It was our kids who begged us to take them out on the trails after camp that encouraged our entire family to get out on the trails and support their growing love of cycling. SVT’s inclusive approach benefits not only youth, but also families and the entire Poultney community.“
The impact of youth programming on Hannah’s family has come back around to benefit the whole SVT community, as Hannah has become a beloved coach at youth mountain bike camp, with a particular gift in making brand new riders feel welcome on the trails. Meanwhile, her daughter, Nora, has grown into the role of youth counselor, and has a knack for spreading her enthusiasm for biking to all campers, regardless of ability.
“The transition from camper to counselor has been especially valuable for my daughter, Nora, giving her opportunities to mentor younger riders, build job readiness skills, and feel a strong sense of belonging and purpose in our community.” – Hannah Gonzalez
Mountain bike camp is geared towards kids aged 7-12, but we are grateful to be able to provide the opportunity for campers to become youth counselors as they age out of camp. This allows us to extend the impact of our programming and continue to mentor our youth through their development into young adults as we fuel their sense of empowerment and independence. The start of our youth mountain biking team, offered to kids in grades 5-12, offers another avenue for kids to have access to healthy, outdoor outlets as they enter their teen years and further guides the transition of our youth from curious younglings to confident, intelligent, and capable young adults.
What’s Next?
We set ambitious goals for youth programming in 2026, and we’re incredibly proud of what this community helped us to accomplish, but perhaps the most exciting part isn’t simply how much our programs have grown—it’s what that growth makes possible.
A child who discovers mountain biking at camp may become a teenager who races with Taconic Cycling Club, a young person who earns their first job as a youth counselor, a trail steward through Teen Trail Blazers, or a future community leader. A family who comes to a program without ever having mountain biked may discover a new way to spend time together outdoors, and a loaner bike that gives one child the chance to participate can be the beginning of a lifelong connection to trails, nature, and community.
That is the future we hope to build.
In 2027, we plan to continue investing in the people and resources needed to make these opportunities possible. We hope to add a seasonal staff member to support youth programming, continue growing our loaner bike fleet, and develop a sustainable storage and maintenance plan so these resources can serve kids for years to come. Just as importantly, we want to keep listening to our community and creating programs that kids are genuinely excited to be part of.
Our goal isn’t simply to get more kids on bikes. It’s to help young people discover confidence, friendship, adventure, and a sense of belonging in the outdoors, in addition to giving them opportunities to grow from participants into leaders and stewards.
We’re excited to keep growing alongside the young people in our community. We don’t know exactly where the trail will lead next, but we know we want to keep building it together.
Thank you again to everyone who has been involved in or supported our youth programming, whether it be as a volunteer, board member, donor, SVT member, youth participant, or parent. We are exceedingly grateful for our community and inspired by the impact we are seeing in real time.
