Teens in the Tetons
Guiding Go Beyond’s mission to get trauma-impacted youth outdoors
I spent each summer at camp when I was young. Braiding friendship bracelets, roasting marshmallows, and singing call-and-repeat trail songs are woven into my core childhood memories. Forest magic came alive every night after campfire; I snuck out of my cabin for my very first makeout with a boy I met on the Trust Fall.
Summer camp was a place where you could make new friends who didn’t know your reputation from school and you could be messy and dirty without Mom telling you to take a shower. It was feral and wild and free.
But it cost my parents hundreds of dollars to send me to camp each summer. I come from a family that understood the benefit of outdoor recreation and was supportive and able to pay that price tag. At my camp, many of the little girls looked like me and came primarily from the affluent white suburbs nearby. Most of us came from good homes, went to great schools, and were involved with extracurricular activities year-round.
Sending me off for a few weeks each summer was probably just a way for my parents to get a break from my annoying pre-teen self. Whatever their reasoning, I am forever grateful.
Omaha, Nebraska is an incredibly diverse city - but depending on where you live, you may not recognize it. We have a long and ugly history with redlining and neighborhood segregation (read more here). If you don’t intentionally explore outside your neighborhood, there’s a high likelihood you wouldn’t know over 100 languages are represented and over 20,000 refugees reside here. Diversity is present, but it can feel siloed.
As I began to dive deeper into my need for connecting with my community, I leaned into what was familiar - my love for outdoor recreation. I began researching how to volunteer with kids in the outdoors, and I found Go Beyond.
Go Beyond is an Omaha non-profit that brings diverse groups of young people together to facilitate life-changing outdoor adventures that bring about self-discovery and community. For over 45 years, Go Beyond has taken over 1,200 trauma-impacted teens ages 13-15 to explore, adventure, grow and play in the mountains of Wyoming.
I happily joined as a summer guide for the 2024 season, bringing my background of guiding trips, facilitating groups, and leading adventure activities to the crew. The staff was well-rounded and we all brought our own strengths to the trip.
In 2025, I re-signed to guide again - this time with some updates and changes that were intended to benefit girl-specific programming.
Taking teens to the Tetons (and Yellowstone, and the Snowy Range, and more) for 11 days is as challenging and fun as it sounds. Taking trauma-impacted teens adds a layer of complexity, depth, and impact that makes this summer camp experience just as magical as it was for me 20 years ago.
Itinerary - What we did
Day 1 - Drive to Centennial Ranch
Day 2 - Medicine Bow National Forest, Lake Marie, Alpine
Day 3 - Grand Tetons National Park, Hike to swim at Leigh Lake
Day 4 - White Water Rafting Snake River
Day 5 - Yellowstone National Park
Day 6 - Free Day
Day 7 - Drive to Wind River Range, Camping at Sinks Canyon
Day 8 - Rock Climbing at Sinks Canyon
Day 9 - Drive back to Centennial Ranch
Day 10 - Medicine Bow Peak Summit
Day 11 - Drive back to Omaha
If it looks like a lot, that’s because it is a lot. The intention is to maximize the time in a glorious environment and jam-pack our days with adventure, fun, and life-changing experiences. We’re truly living each day to its fullest capacity and soaking up all the best things nature has to offer.
But doing all this doesn’t come without challenges. 11 days with girls . In the classic theory of team development, we definitely went through the stages of Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing. We butt-heads, cried from frustration and awe,
Isn’t that one of the best parts of group travel though? The ultimate coming-together and celebrating a victorious experience. Both years have been wonderful.
year 1 cohort (2024)
What’s Next?
During the off-season, Go Beyond is growing its hOmaha program as a way to keep the youth plugged in and connected throughout the year. This gives both participants and guides the opportunity to continue mentorship, create new memories, and develop life skills.
Go Beyond also hosts a few fundraising events during the fall, winter, and spring months. Like most non-profits, raising money and developing a strong support base is the only way the mission can continue.
There are some big plans in the works as the organization continues to reach youth throughout Nebraska. Wonderful things ahead!
To learn more about Go Beyond, to get involved as a volunteer, or to support the mission in a variety of ways, please visit https://www.gobeyondne.org/
