April 20, 2026 | Blog

Stories of Impact

Winter 2026

As we transition to our spring programs we are feeling so grateful for the beautiful winter season.

This winter we successfully~

Supported 46 youth in multi-week programs across elementary, middle and high school ages within nordic skiing, alpine and snowboarding.
Offered winter camps during no-school days.
Took 41 more students on winter outings at Mt.Bachelor including Newcomer students.
Supported 5 adults in attending the Learn to Nordic Ski Day at Virginia Meissner.

💬 The most significant part of the snowboard program

El 94% of participants shared the found meaning in:
learning new skills, gaining confidence, strengthening community.

Post program reflection from youth participant on their identity and culture~

“I should to be proud of where I am from and where my parents are from”

Thank You to our Partners:

Mt. Bachelor, Columbia Sportswear, Share Winter Foundation, Oregon Department of Education, y HAJB Foundation.

Also, thanks to our wonderful staff, volunteers and to NatureConnect Central Oregon.

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Keep exploring

January 5, 2026

Pattie Gonia’s Million Dollar Backpacking Trip

Our Deepest Gratitude to our Hometown Heroine Our Love Letter to Pattie~ Dear Pattie, During your 100 miles for 1 Million campaign, I wrote in the comments, “I am at a loss for words.” But in truth, I have SO MANY. They were stuck inside my throat by the size of it all, and now,Continue reading “Pattie Gonia’s Million Dollar Backpacking Trip”
May 5, 2025

Celebrating Community Support with Les Schwab Tire Donation & Summer Funding

We’re excited to have been selected as a participant in Les Schwab’s new Tires for Purpose program and to have received a new set of tires for our 15-passenger Ford! This van is used for our mountain bike program, no school day camps, summer camps, and our winter programs. With new all-weather tires, we areContinue reading “Celebrating Community Support with Les Schwab Tire Donation & Summer Funding”
March 4, 2025

Finding the Rhythm- Camp Chica Brings a Latin Beat to Meissner Nordic Trails

Nordic skiing is one of the most accessible and rewarding winter activities in Bend, with miles of trails and multiple snow parks to explore. Glide along Meissner’s gentle slopes, and you’ll find skiers soaking up the winter sun, sharing big smiles on the trail—and, occasionally, moving to the beat of something unexpected. Reggaeton? Salsa? Merengue?Continue reading “Finding the Rhythm- Camp Chica Brings a Latin Beat to Meissner Nordic Trails”
March 12, 2024

Camp Chica featured in Legacy Magazine

The National Association of Interpreters (NAI) is a professional organization dedicated to advancing the profession of natural and cultural heritage interpretation. We were honored to be invited to co-author a story for the March/ April 2024 digital issue Women and Femmes in Interpretation. We wrote about creating a Central Oregon version of Lotería in partnership withContinue reading “Camp Chica featured in Legacy Magazine”
January 26, 2024

¡Todos para afuera!

As an alum of Pacific University, Wesley Heredia of Vámonos Outside was featured in their alumni news. He shared his experience in his role in making the outdoors accessible to everyone.
January 23, 2024

Bend Magazine Feature

Vamonos Outside was featured in the 2023 November- December issue in an article written by Kacey Yanna. Read it here: Vamonos Outside_mentoring Latinx youth to connect in the outdoors/bendmagazine_novemberdecember_2023
October 1, 2023

Camp Chica joins Vámonos Outside

We are very excited to share this news: https://childrensforestco.org/camp-chica-joins-vamonos-outside-and-the-childrens-forest/
July 30, 2023

Green Jobs Internship program in Bend Bulletin

In Summer 2023 Vamonos Outside hosted several interns to support programs such as Camp Chica, Aguas Frescas, and learn marketing skills. Read more about the program and the experiences of youth featured in the Bend Bulletin article here: https://www.bendbulletin.com/localstate/local-high-school-interns-help-environmental-and-outdoor-programs-this-summer-through-the-green-jobs/article_6b8516ee-2d6f-11ee-ab7d-d3ad05838587.html

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