Strategic Plan and Work Plan

Adaptive Wilderness Sports of McCall, Idaho (AWeSOMe!)

June, 2024 Strategic Plan Summary

AWeSOMe!’s Growth 2002 to 2024

AWeSOMe! was founded in 2002 to address the needs of people with disabilities to recreate in the Idaho outdoors by first offering an After School Alpine Ski Program to a handful of local school children. Since then, AWeSOMe! has become a year-round adaptive outdoor recreation program serving 75 to 100 individuals annually and offering a full range of adaptive sports instruction for individuals with a disability of all ages and abilities from across the western U.S.  Adaptive activities include Nordic and alpine skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing in the winter. Summer activities include flat water kayaking, canoeing, adaptive cycling, and day and overnight activity camps.

Challenge Statement

Our greatest challenges are to increase adaptive outdoor recreation opportunities, to help people with disabilities and their families become aware of outdoor recreation opportunities, and to facilitate achievement of success in outdoor recreation and sports participation. It is our responsibility to advocate for and facilitate opportunities for people with disabilities to be able to enjoy the many recreation possibilities available in Idaho.

Student and Families Survey

A 2023 survey of AWeSOMe! students and their families confirmed that AWeSOMe! teaching model works.  Clients’ indicated they found AWeSOMe!s  programs and services to be of exceptional quality, instructors demonstrated concern for safety, services met participants’ goals of having fun and gaining skills and support long-term goals of gaining independence.  One parent’s response to the survey sums up the feelings of many other respondents as well.

“All of the instructors are wonderful and really individualize the lessons and met (my daughter) where she was that day. She not only has made great progress in her skiing but loves it and is proud of herself.  It is sometimes hard to find activities for kids with disabilities that don’t turn everything into therapy, so we love AWeSOMe!’s chance to participate in community activities and have fun.”  (Comment from parent of 7 year-0ld autistic child who has been an AWeSOMe! student last and this year.)

The results of the survey helped direct development of this strategic plan.

AWeSOMe! Strategic Plan for the 2024-2033 planning period

• Increase funding by 30 percent prior to October 2024 to support expanded programs.

• Work was started over the fall and winter of 2024 on preparing a comprehensive fundraising plan.

• Grant applications have been submitted in spring of 2024: 

1. McCall Rotary Club ($7,489) for adaptive equipment purchases to improve instruction, and for the lesson scholarship fund.

2. National Education Environmental Fund/United States Forest Service (USFS) Veterans and Nature Grant 2024-2025 ($10,000) for trail renovation to accommodate adaptive mountain bikes.

3. Local Option Tax proposal for adaptive equipment purchases to improve instruction, and for the lesson scholarship fund.

• Increase staff/volunteer resources.  

• Recruit three new board members to the Board of Directors

• Hire two paid staff members, 

• Recruit eight new volunteers. 

• College Internship: planning is in place to recruit an intern from a college or University in Idaho to help with a trail renovation project during the summer of 2024, depending on the availability of grant funds.  Consideration is being given to developing funding for a year-round internship in adaptive sports if a funding source can be secured.

• Increase 2024 participant enrollment by 15 people in winter and 10 in summer while strengthening operations. 

• Summer Overnight Camp: Summer 2024 plans include establishing an Annual Overnight Camp. 

• Outreach to schools: To increase local participation, AWeSOMe! is initiating outreach to Valley County and Adams County school districts to identify and serve students that will benefit from participation in adaptive outdoor sports. Considering the McCall Donnelly School District’s recent decision to have 10 weeks of a 4-day school week in 2024-25, two options will be presented to provide students with disabilities who will benefit from outdoor recreation lessons with AWeSOMe! provided activities on the weekdays off from classes. School Districts in neighboring counties will be approached in 2025 with an offer like the offer presented to the McCall-Donnelly School District.

• Make and sustain local area collaborators connections for improving opportunities to   participate in outdoor recreation and sports. Build and sustain Valley County and Adams County partnerships. Develop regional outreach and advocacy strategies to improve access to outdoor recreation opportunities for people with disabilities.

• An “Out and About” program for young adults with developmental disabilities who are living independently but are generally isolated is being considered and possible program funding sources identified.  Toby’s Place, Courageous Kids Climbing, and people in the community who are familiar with these youths are being sought as project partners.

• Formal memoranda of understanding have been developed and are being discussed with Brundage Mountain Resort and Tamarack Resort.  Memoranda of understanding will also be sought this year with Ponderosa State Park, Little Ski Hill and Bear Basin, Pilgrims Cove, and local school districts to confirm ongoing ability to use their facilities for adaptive sports activities.

• Facilitate travel planning for people with disabilities: AWeSOMe! seeks to find a low-cost means of reaching more people with disabilities seeking outdoor activities in their travel planning.  We will initiate a discussion with the McCall Area Chamber of Commerce this spring with the intent of demonstrating serving people with disabilities can be profitable. Local travel related businesses providing linking to AWeSOMe!’s webpage information will benefit their business, if they upgrade information about their facilities serving the needs of people with disabilities.  More visitors will be attracted to Valley County businesses.  

• Support ongoing revenue budget development activities, carry out local fundraising activities, pursue grants and the preparation of a comprehensive long-term development plan to ensure the organization meets financial goals and challenges to ensure AWeSOMe! can serve people with disabilities over the next 20 years.

• The showing of the film Full Circle at the Alpine Playhouse with the sponsorship of The Peddler turned a profit.

• Payette Lake Ice Melt Breakup Contest was resurrected as an AWeSOMe! fundraiser in spring, 2024

• Fundraiser at Brundage: A poker run or similar event will be held on Brundage Mountain to raise our visibility on the mountain.

• The Cardboard Board Race fundraiser will be revived and held in July 2024.

• Establish adequate space at Brundage and at Tamarack for AWeSOMe! Learning Centers within 3 years.

• Establish an outdoor campus location as a base for the AWeSOMe! organization within 10 years.