Living Our Values: A.C.E.
As we move into 2024, we are introducing three new principles that will serve as guiding ideals for Beyond Boundaries. Access. Community. Empowerment. These standards are at the core of everything we do. As we continue to expand both our organization and our programming, we are challenging ourselves, our volunteers and our community to live up to these standards.
“When looking at our organization and thinking about what we stand for, the words 'access, community, and empowerment' kept coming up in conversation. We feel that at the root of what Beyond Boundaries does is give people access to opportunities they haven't had before. Our participants (and their families) constantly say things like ' this experience has made me feel more included and part of the community' so the word Community was another strong pillar for us. We work hard to create space for people to feel empowered in our programs, in hopes that that feeling stays with them when they go home, back into the community, and do things like apply for jobs,” says Executive Director Shep Roeper
To us, these principles mean:
Access: Ensuring that all people, no matter their physical or financial challenges, have access to adventure opportunities that challenge them, that empower them, and that increase their quality of life.
Community: Making sure that all of our participants feel like they are part of the community. To go a step further, we at Beyond Boundaries work hard to make sure that participants have the opportunity to find a place within our program communities.
Empowerment: Continually working to provide experiences for our participants that empower them as individuals. Making it to the top of a rock climbing wall helps increase confidence. Spending the day on a pontoon boat with your peers leads to an increase in social interactions. Learning safety skills in the outdoors creates a curiosity to explore more. We are here to empower our participants to chase their goals.
Over the course of 2024, we will continue to integrate these principles into our programming, messaging, and events.
“We plan to lean into these three pillars in a few different ways. One, increase the number of programs we offer, allowing for more access as well as find more community partners to be able to expand the access we are offering. Two, lean into our community in unique ways. We plan to create more opportunities to celebrate and appreciate our volunteers, benefactors, and participants and bring all three of these groups together more so that they become more of a community. Three, with post-trip surveys and participant interviews, we will be able to better share their stories with how our programs have helped empower them,” explains Shep.
Thank you for being a part of the Beyond Boundaries community. We’re committed to upholding these principles and making strides to build our programming to bring the best experiences possible to both our participants and our volunteers.
Want to get involved? Volunteer here.