It Starts with Adventure
Explore Austin uses a leadership-based outdoor adventure curriculum coupled with social-emotional learning components and long-term mentoring to empower youth from economically disadvantaged communities.
6-Year Program
Yes, our Mentors sign up for six years of service!
Year Round
Immersive nature-based programming
Only 1 in TX
The only program in Texas and one of fewer than 10 nationally combining long-term mentorship with outdoor adventure
100% Free
for Explorers and Mentors
100% Graduate
from high school with detailed plans for their futures
100% Community
Our mission is 100% philanthropically funded with support from community members like you
Explorers
Adventurous 6th-12th graders who qualify for free or reduced lunch in school
Mentors
Caring, committed adults who model leadership, courage and a spirit of adventure to Explorers
Staff
Passionate about the program, our staff is outdoors, team and youth-oriented
Board
Our Board of Directors and Advisory Council are dedicated to Explore Austin’s success
Supporters
Individual donors, corporate sponsors and volunteers help make our mission possible
Trip Leaders
Our skilled outdoor guides ensure every adventure is a step on the journey of personal growth
Our Method
Saturday Challenges and Summer Wilderness Trips afford Explorers the opportunity for leadership development and social-emotional learning (SEL) through experiential outdoor education. Mentors facilitate SEL discussions using evidence-based curriculum from the Search Institute to help Explorers gain self-awareness and interpersonal skills.
Saturday
Challenges
Saturday Challenges are in local natural areas and include activities such as backpacking, paddling, rock climbing, mountain biking, swimming, navigation and wilderness medicine.
Explorers learn more advanced skills each year, building confidence and strengthening overall wellbeing. One Saturday Challenge a year is a volunteer project focused on environmental stewardship.
Summer
Wilderness Trips
SWTs are annual, week-long excursions to premier backcountry destinations across the country where Explorers apply the knowledge and skills they have developed throughout the year.
Last summer, our newest Explorers traveled to Texas’ Colorado Bend State Park while more experienced teams explored mountains, rivers and hiking and biking trails in Arkansas, New Mexico, Utah and Idaho. For many of our youth, these trips represent their first experience traveling away from home and their families, and their first time on a plane or out of state.
Our History
An 18-Year Legacy Explore Austin was founded in 2006 by three childhood friends: Jamie matthews, Todd Hanna and Rusty stein.
Jamie Matthews had helped inner-city Houston youth combat the “summer slide” phenomenon with a summer wilderness program and, after experiencing the powerful combination of mentoring and outdoor adventure, sought to provide this opportunity to boys from economically disadvantaged communities in Austin.
Jamie and his two friends, Todd and Rusty, served as the three founding Mentors of Explore Austin, launching the 100% free program with 15 sixth grade boys on a weeklong trip to the mountains of Wyoming. That first Summer Wilderness Trip grew into a year-round program for both boys and girls, bolstered by a partnership developed with KIPP Austin Public Schools.
Today, Explore Austin serves more than 260 sixth through twelfth grade youth Explorers and nearly 100 Mentors annually. Programming follows a progressively advanced curriculum in outdoor disciplines including canoeing, rock climbing, mountain biking and backpacking, coupled with mentoring for the development of leadership, team-building and life skills.
First girls team formed and launched
Recognized by the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Began a new slate of Summer Wilderness Trips in states such as California and Idaho
Community educational programming launched for Great Outdoors Month
“Explore Austin changed my life from being a failing student in middle school to participating in the United States Military Academy Summer Leadership Seminar program, and becoming a graduating senior that has been accepted to the number-one aerospace engineering university in the country.”
“I’d never be outside except for [my] front yard. Explore Austin introduced me to the beauty of nature.”
“Thanks so much, this program has really meant a lot to Julian and to myself. I grew up camping and canoeing and basically spending my summers outdoors. Unfortunately, life being life, I was unable to do these things with Julian. It makes me so happy he has a chance to explore the outdoors and have such great mentors to guide him along the way. Thanks again!”