BENZIE COUNTY - Students from Detroit’s University Prep Schools are visiting Crystal Mountain in Benzie County this week for a skiing and snowboarding trip. The excursion is made possible through a partnership between SOS Outreach and the Crystal Community Ski Club.
The program aims to connect students with outdoor recreation while helping them build confidence through new experiences. While the students spend the majority of the winter months skiing at Mount Brighton, this annual end-of-year trip allows them to experience the slopes of Northern Michigan at one of the region’s largest resorts.
Program leaders said the initiative is designed to introduce young people to winter sports while encouraging them to step out of their comfort zones. These events help students discover different areas of the state and build life skills they can use in the future. The goal is to provide recreational opportunities that make it easier for students to remain active during the winter months.
Hunter Steinkamp serves as the executive director of the Crystal Community Ski Club. He said he believes skiing and snowboarding serve as a gateway for children to stay healthy and expand their perspectives. “We believe skiing and snowboarding are such a gateway to getting outdoors to being active, to being healthy in the winter time, and enjoying the winter months,” Steinkamp said. “We believe they bring opportunities to kids not only to be outside and active, but to see the world, to meet new people and new ideas.”
For the participating students, the opportunity to spend time outdoors with classmates, mentors and coaches can be a significant experience. Ricky Robertson, a member of the SOS Outreach organization, said the program has been transformative for him. “Personally, this has genuinely changed my life,” Robertson said. “No exaggeration. Like, I feel like every kid should try to do something new like this, try to take the opportunity.”
The program also changes how students view the winter season. Kaniah Harris, another member of the SOS Outreach organization, said she used to dislike the cold, but learning to snowboard gave her something to look forward to. “I used to not like the cold even though my birthday was in the winter,” Harris said. “But now on my birthday, I can just go snowboarding. I don’t have to look forward to nothing but snowboarding and it just makes me so happy.”
Foley DeCoste is a program manager for SOS Outreach. He explained that the collaboration focuses on providing students with experiences they might not otherwise have. “This partnership is about creating equitable access for kids that might not otherwise have the opportunity to get up here and experience these wonderful places,” DeCoste said. “This trip really feels like a warm embrace from all the folks here at Crystal Mountain and the Crystal Community Ski Club.”