About the Workshop
Presenters: Daniela Cervantes (she/her/hers)
Adult Led
Level: Beginning
For: Both middle and high school students
Description: For the past thirteen years, the Youth in Wilderness program has provided life-changing introductory wilderness immersion experiences to youth of Monterey and Santa Cruz counties county. As a free-of-cost program, Youth in Wilderness provides all food, gear, and leadership, so participants have all the resources necessary to find empowerment, confidence, and connection in the outdoors. While she now leads the program as a whole, current Program Manager Daniela Cervantes first became involved with Youth in Wilderness as a high school participant from Greenfield High who had never backpacked before. Come find out how you can find your inner power in wilderness, too, as Youth in Wilderness launches its LGBTQIA+ affinity outing initiative where queer youth can explore the outdoors in the safety and empowerment of community!
About the Presenters
Daniela (Dani) Cervantes (she/her/hers) currently serves as the Youth in Wilderness Program Manager at the Ventana Wilderness Alliance. Originally from Greenfield, CA, where she and her friends founded their high school’s first ever Gay-Straight Alliance, Dani has a natural affinity for leadership and the arts. Dani earned her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley where she double majored in theater and performance studies, and ethnic studies. Through her creative pursuits, Dani has previously served as Assistant Photo Editor of the Daily Californian, and as a professional theater actor at companies like Oakland Theater Project, TheaterFIRST, and Central Works Theater Company. Currently, Dani works to ensure youth from Monterey and Santa Cruz county have access to the outdoors through free of cost wilderness backpacking experiences at Youth in Wilderness. Whether on the stage or in the outdoors, Dani is dedicated to uplifting the voices and needs of her communities for a more equitable future.
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