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About ALOFT

 

Our History

  • In 1997, Teamlink Inc., provided a concept for an experiential outdoor challenge program for at-risk youth in central Maryland.
  • In 1998, Adventure Extreme began. Working with the Frederick County (MD) Board of Education's Community Agency School Services (CASS) program, and the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) the program began serving young people with numerous home environmental challenges, (homelessness, substance abuse, parental incarceration, poor nutrition, etc.) who were at the same time trying to navigate the waters of life transitions. The program was recognized as a “model program” for early intervention by the US Department of Justice.
  • In 2010, AdEx (AdventureExtreme) is a day camp program for elementary aged youth.
  • AdEx had been offered for 12 long years, touching hundreds of lives. Then, due to the budget crisis, funding for the AdEx program was cut. The program limped on through the end of summer 2010, and finally ended in 2011.
  •   In 2012, the founders of AdEx came together to discuss reviving the program. And in 2014, ALOFT Inc. was founded.
  •  For summer 2015, ALOFT began with baby steps. Day camps will be offered to elementary school students identified for at-risk environmental conditions.
  • For summer 2016, Adventure weeks for middle school aged youth will start, more day camps will happen, and the launch of year round programming for older adolescents and young adults.

Our Mission

  • Where are you?
  • Where are you going?
  • How are you going to get there?

These three questions are not only fundamental in navigating wilderness, but life and its challenges.

ALOFT Youth Programming helps underserved local youth to navigate the challenges of growing up and transitioning into life.

We began our program following these three questions, and they are at our core. We had a program with 12 years of experience, but lacked the funding to run it. Next was determining where we were going, and how to get there.

ALOFT Programs will be offered in communities with a lack of services, those without a YMCA, a Boys and Girls Club, nothing at all.

 

Our Future

"Remember what Bilbo used to say: It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to." (J.R.R. Tolkien)

ALOFT was incorporated as a 501(c)3, (not-for-profit) corporation. Our future, is you, and us, working together. Our work with kids is more important than on-going fundraising.

 Seed money was provided by our long term partner Teamlink/Shenandoah Mountain Guides.

The difference this go round is… we aren’t going to seek government funding. This allows us the freedom from geographical constraints and age restraints. We’re encouraging the support from more than one big donor (though we aren’t discouraging that). We’d like the support of the entire mid-Atlantic community which stands to gain more from the success of the young people we’re here to serve.

The goal is full public buy-in and realizing the full benefits, in time, of young people becoming fully integrated into strong community citizenship.