Wayfinders’ unique youth development model wraps 180 students each year in a system of support that ignites their potential by expanding their confidence, connections, and horizons. We achieve this through long-term mentorship, summer camp experiences, family and academic support, and year-round enrichment programs.

CAMP: Wayfinders scholars attend residential camp for one to three weeks beginning in the fourth grade. Summer enrichment helps prevent summer learning loss, build confidence, and give students the opportunity to supplement their education with experiences that improve academic achievement and physical activity.

• Explorers (grades 4-6) attend residential camp for one to three weeks in the NC mountains. Explorers experience new activities like kayaking, rope climbing, and horseback riding.
• Adventurers (grades 7-9) attend one to three weeks of overnight camp on a college campus or overnight outdoor adventure/leadership camp.
• Navigators (grades 10-12) participate in job shadowing experiences, internships, or work as camp counselors/ counselors in training at overnight camps.

ENRICHMENT: Year-round, Wayfinders scholars engage in enrichment experiences that help them build a sense of belonging and discover what inspires them. Through opportunities in outdoor adventure, arts and culture, STEAM and career exploration, health and wellness, service, civic engagement, and leadership development, scholars develop lifelong hobbies, build meaningful connections, strengthen essential life skills, and explore pathways that prepare them to thrive in school, work, and life.

For more information on enrichment activities, please click here.

MENTORING: Wayfinders is one of Charlotte’s few organizations providing long-term, one-on-one mentoring. Each Wayfinders scholar is matched with a dedicated adult mentor for five to eight years, creating a consistent source of support, encouragement, and friendship. At Wayfinders, we see mentorship as a mutually beneficial relationship in which both mentors and scholars develop a stronger sense of belonging while exchanging valuable social capital and learning from one another.

For more information on becoming a mentor, please click here.

FAMILY SUPPORT: At Wayfinders, we recognize that a child faces added barriers to thriving academically and socially if their family experiences any form of instability. As one mother shared with us, “A child cannot be mentally or physically engaged if their home is suffering.” Our Family Support Program was born from this understanding, addressing the pressing unmet needs of the families we serve. Wayfinders writes referrals on behalf of families to trusted partners for food security and housing assistance, and we partner with local counseling centers to provide free mental health therapy to scholars and their families. When gaps remain, we provide direct financial assistance to families if it represents a meaningful step forward.