September 30, 2021
Dear friends and supporters of Lifeschool / Go Adventure,
Hopefully this letter finds you well. On September 30, 2021 my tenure as Executive Director of Lifeschool ended and Go Adventure officially became a program of the B-Rad Foundation, a 501C3 co-based in Santa Rosa, CA and Kauai, Hawaii. I am so proud of what Lifeschool has accomplished over the past 22 years and incredibly excited about the future of the program with Jeremiah Kahmoson, Kevin Jorgeson, Gia Baiocchi, Jerry Dodrill, Leah DiFilippo, Sean Enking, Izzy Perry and Matt Parker at the B-Rad Foundation at the helm.
With over 6,000 students served, dozens of states visited, tens of thousands of miles hiked, paddled, and pedaled Lifeschool’s mission was always to enrich the lives of adolescents with real world skills, deeper connections to nature and their peers. I always wished however that I could do more, to provide increased scholarship assistance to low-income students and engage more in community outreach efforts. The B-Rad Foundation has been quite successful at just those things and through this merger we are all excited about a stronger program, a renewed energy and a goal of having a greater impact and reach. In addition to the leadership team at B-Rad key Lifeschool board members, Go Adventure Trip Leaders and Administrators will become advisors and employees of B-Rad to support a congruent transition.
As the founder of Lifeschool, this work has been the greatest journey and most fulfilling work of my life. We all know the importance of outdoor education, especially in our post COVID-19 world where students are thirsting for engaging, ‘real life’ (as opposed to tech) type activities. The data is clear: outdoor programming results in more socially adjusted adolescents, better physical and mental health, deeper connections with nature, a reverence for the environment, increased life skills and much more. The fact that the seeds we planted at Lifeschool will continue to grow beyond my tenure is humbling.
As the well known saying by Alexander Graham Bell goes, “when one door closes, another door opens, but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.” There is no looking back, only forward and I want to thank each and every one of you who supported my work with Lifeschool over the years. Please consider continuing that support with a gift to the B-Rad Foundation to ensure we can change lives for the better well into the future.
Wishing you all the best,
Jim Nevill
Founder, Lifeschool / Go Adventure