Heavenly aims to connect 2,000 area children to the outdoors

Heavenly Mountain Resort has created Epic Discovery Kids, a program offering free access to Heavenly’s new Epic Discovery summer activities to 2,000 kids from Lake Tahoe schools and non-profits as well as regional non-profits.

This new program will utilize the upper mountain summer activities, Epic Discovery, to provide a unique, connected, on-mountain summer experience that will immerse local and regional children in activities which provide big-time thrills, allow them to challenge themselves physically, guide them to explore and better understand their natural surroundings, and ultimately create lifelong memories.

“Heavenly places the highest value on connecting kids with the natural environment, and we’re using the new Epic Discovery program to partner with local organizations, including schools, educational coalitions and non-profits, to provide a unique educational setting where kids can develop a passion for our public lands,” said Pete Sonntag, vice president and chief operating officer of Heavenly Mountain Resort. “The EpicPromise Program is a great way for us to provide funding for this valuable curriculum.”

“With Epic Discovery at Heavenly so accessible to so many local youth, this new partnership will help forge meaningful connections between students and their National Forests right in their backyards” said Forest Supervisor Jeff Marsolais. Epic Discovery will positively influence our next generation and allow them to become engaged stewards of our natural environment.”

The Epic Discovery Kids Program aims to teach kids about Lake Tahoe’s unique ecosystems through educational curriculum and team building activities, similar to the way Heavenly’s Winter Adventure Program taught local 5th graders about avalanche safety and winter wildlife activities this past season. Additionally, kids will get the opportunity to “Hike with a Ranger” similar to our “Ski with a Ranger” program in the winter, where they will be treated to educational storytelling led by U.S. Forest Service Rangers on topics such as wildlife conservation, forest stewardship and their role in preserving our natural environment in the future.

Epic Discovery Kids will launch two programs in an effort to bring 2,000 local and regional kids to Heavenly this summer and 3,000 kids each year moving forward.

· Local and Regional Non-profit Organizations:
o Heavenly will offer 50 spaces for non-profits from Lake Tahoe, Sacramento, Carson Valley and Reno to enroll kids in a hands-on environmental learning experience with activities such as tubing, zip lining, an alpine coaster and a 60-minute environmental education tour with a U.S. Forest Service representative. The non-profit summer program will take place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

· Lake Tahoe Unified School District:
o During September, Heavenly will offer every 4th and 7th grade class in the Lake Tahoe Unified School District an opportunity to experience Epic Discovery. Hosting up to 60 kids at a time, each 4th and 7th grade class will experience an extensive nature tour with curriculum developed by the USFS and local science teachers. The Lake Tahoe Unified School District program will take place on Fridays from 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.

“The opportunity for our members to participate in Epic Discovery Kids this summer is quite literally Heaven(ly) sent. The majority of our members have never ridden the Gondola, despite living their whole lives in Tahoe. The opportunity to also participate in the zip lines, ropes course and interpretive hikes will provide them with an experience that could easily be remembered as the best day of their summer,” said Jude Wood, Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club of Lake Tahoe. “We are extremely grateful to the EpicPromise program and Heavenly for sharing their amazing facilities with the children of South Lake Tahoe.”

“SOS Outreach is excited to bring the Epic Discovery experience to our summer camp participants. Epic Discovery is a great program that mirrors many of our messages and core values. It is a fantastic tool to teach kids about their local environment and how they can protect it, while having fun at the same time,” said Kaylee Wilkins, North Lake Tahoe Coordinator of SOS Outreach. “Being able to participate in this program is adding much depth to what we can offer to our families; this is truly a special experience for the youth and will build a strong passion for the place they call home.”

Participating non-profits include: SOS Outreach, Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe, Austin's House, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, CASA El Dorado, Discovery Blind Sports, Douglas County Adaptive Physical Education, Live Violence Free, Kids & Horses, Mefiyi Foundation, Northern Nevada Children's Cancer Foundation, SkiDUCK, South Lake Tahoe Family Resource Center, Tahoe Youth & Family Services, TINS, Adventure Risk Challenge, Aim High for High School, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Nevada County, Boys & Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe, Family Resource Center of Truckee, Girls on the Run, Truckee Trails and Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows.