Explore Austin

06/18/2026

Kicking off our Summer Wilderness Trips, our first-year teams went on a multi-day trip to Inks Lake State Park for an introduction to camping, hiking, water safety and canoeing ⛺🥾💧🛶

For the new class of 2032 Explorers, this is just the start of their 6 year journey with Explore Austin. With their volunteer Mentors, every year they'll learn how to backpack, rock climb, canoe and mountain bike in preparation for their week-long, out-of-state trips at premier backcountry destinations- growing together throughout middle and high school.

06/16/2026

SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER 👉 https://ow.ly/qT4t50YWGLz

⛺🥾 Gear Checks and Receives occur at the Explore Austin Warehouse in Del Valle through July 25. We need your help to ensure our 250+ Explorers and Mentors are outfitted appropriately for their trips ("Gear Check" shifts) and return from them safely ("Receive" shifts)- especially for the upcoming Saturday shifts. More details about what each shift entails are available through the sign-up link.

06/10/2026

We’re hiring a full-time Development Specialist! Job description & how to apply:https://exploreaustin.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Development_Specialist-_Explore_Austin-_June_2026.pdf

The Development Specialist plays a critical role in advancing Explore Austin’s philanthropic and marketing goals. This role partners closely with the Chief Development Officer, Communications Director, Bookkeeper, Database Contractor, and Events Contractor.

Preferred Qualifications: Salesforce or other CRM experience; financial knowledge, skills, or experience; experience coordinating or managing donors or volunteers

06/08/2026

Explore Austin served a record ☀️ 384 youth ☀️ from economically disadvantaged communities in 2025. 📗 Read more about our impact below and in our 2025-2026 Impact Report 👉 https://ow.ly/AleH50Z7c9l

⛰️ Mountains Climbed
✴️ Received Mentor applications from a record number of Explorer Alums and Mentor Alums seeking to return to the program.
✴️ Onboarded a total of 55 youth to our incoming class of Explorers – a tie for our largest-ever incoming class.
✴️ Achieved a six-year retention rate of 80% for Mentors and nearly 70% for Explorers.
Became accredited by the Association for Experiential Education after an intensive, two-year process.
✴️ Launched a fifth and sixth grade “feeder program” with our partner schools to increase our community impact and strengthen recruitment efforts for our flagship program.
✴️ Launched the Capital Campaign for our new headquarters, securing nearly $3M in pledges.

🧭 The Trail Ahead
✴️ Build our Explore Austin headquarters, which will combine our administrative offices and gear warehouse and serve as a community hub, enabling us to serve 10 times the number of youth in the coming decade. Move-in date of spring 2027!
✴️ Develop the organization’s 2027-2029 Strategic Plan focusing on broader community reach.
✴️ Prepare to launch on-site school field trips ("Outdoor School") at our new campus in fall 2027.

Dive into our extensive resources on the topic that interests you. It's like a masterclass to be explored at your own pace.

06/05/2026

Thank you for your generous support of our Explorers, Swantz Family Foundation! ☀️🌳 🧗‍♂️ 🌊 🛶 🧡

06/04/2026

🎣 Thanks to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Angler Education Program, 55 Explorers from our Class of '27 and '28 teams had the opportunity to learn the basics of fishing at East Metro Park.

As a Texas Parks and Wildlife grant recipient, Explore Austin is grateful for partnerships that help connect our youth to the outdoors through hands-on learning and new experiences. From casting techniques to fishing ethics and conservation, our Explorers gained valuable skills while discovering the joy of spending time on the water. 🐟

A special thank you to the Texas Parks and Wildlife - Texas Angler Educators and certified instructors who shared their time, expertise, and passion with our youth. We appreciate your commitment to helping the next generation build confidence, stewardship, and a lifelong connection to the outdoors.

06/02/2026

⛺ 🚗 Our "Friends of Explore Austin" young professionals group gathered at our gear warehouse ahead of the launch of our Summer Wilderness Trip season. These wonderful volunteers helped detail vehicles, clean camp stoves and other kitchen gear, and put together snack packs with notes of encouragement for the 300+ Explorers, Mentors, and Trip Leaders who are going on trips this summer.

Interested in learning more about our Friends of Explore Austin group + how to get involved? https://ow.ly/SAgb50Z4vjJ

05/30/2026

🎉 Congrats, Class of 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣!
Four teams graduated from the Explore Austin program this year, culminating in a Senior Celebration party for the Explorers, their Mentors, and their families. This included dinner, slideshows from their time in the program, receiving their certificates of completion, goodie bags, and a raffle prize drawing

05/27/2026

☀️ THIS SUMMER, SUPPORT THE NEXT GENERATION OF EXPLORERS
200+ of our youth from under-resourced communities are headed into the backcountry across the U.S. for the adventure of a lifetime, even as airfare has risen 20% since last summer. For Explore Austin, cost never stands in the way of opportunity. Help underrepresented kids grow in the outdoors: https://ow.ly/u2us50Z4Tgb

Our Explorers will backpack, rock climb, canoe and mountain bike in Arkansas, Idaho, New Mexico, Texas, and West Virginia alongside trusted adult Mentors and professional wilderness guides. With a 90% RSVP rate, we have more youth embarking on Summer Wilderness Trips than ever before in Explore Austin's 20-year history.

Help us reach our goal! Your support will make a meaningful difference. Every contribution brings us closer to success. Join us today and be part of something impactful.

05/26/2026

♦️📸 PHOTOS ARE IN! Swipe for more, and view the full album here 👉 https://ow.ly/e31o50Z4v1y

The Aces for Adventure Charity Poker Tournament benefiting Explore Austin raised over $100K in to support the 380+ youth we serve. Wendy and Jay Papasan of Papasan Properties Group are the visionaries behind this event, and have supported Explore Austin in many impactful ways since Wendy joined our Board of Directors in 2023.

This year's Aces for Adventure hosted over 150 guests for a night of dinner, drinks, and poker at The Austin Club. Also in attendance were '19 Mentor and Explorer Alums who gave testimonials from their time in the program 🙌