At Sunski we believe that everyone has the right to experience, enjoy, and bask in the beauty of Nature. This month, we’re donating a portion of sales to The Venture Out Project to help provide a fun and supportive space for the queer, trans, and LGBTQ+ community to experience the outdoors.
Sunski is proud to support a variety of nature-based nonprofits working to protect both people and the planet as part of our 1% for the Planet membership. Our giving is focused on policy change, grassroots activism and support of marginalized and frontline communities. Learn more about Sunski's activism and nonprofit partnerships in the Sustainability & Activism section of our blog.
What is The Venture Out Project?
The Venture Out Project is a 1% for the Planet nonprofit that brings queer, trans and LGBTQ+ youth and adults together to build community, develop leadership skills, and gain confidence through the shared experience of outdoor adventure.
The Venture Out Project's day trips and weekend long adventures include everything from backpacking, canoeing, climbing, and hiking for youths and adults. In addition to wilderness trips, The Venture Out Project also conducts training and workshops to help outdoor organizations, schools, and camps better support their LGBTQ+ community members.
Founded in 2015 by Perry Cohen, The Venture Out Project now serves almost 1,000 participants in 21 different states, powered by a full staff of instructors and volunteer hike leaders. Cohen notes that as a member of a marginalized community, he believes it’s “important that to have spaces just for ourselves, that we can talk about things we wouldn't feel safe or comfortable talking about in the presence of others. I think to be able to do it in the outdoors, in a place where we historically have not felt welcome, is an important means of feeling empowered and reclaiming a space that should be open to everyone.”
The Venture Out Project leads open-enrollment, sliding scale pricing trips where any member of the LGBTQ+ community can sign up, including special affinity-based adventures for trans and nonbinary people, plus-size people, youth and families, and more!
Learn about The Venture Out Project’s impact from past participants:
- “Whenever I’m in nature, I feel all the pressure just kinda fall away. I don’t have to be someone specific, or be anything, I can just exist and not have to worry about it.”
- “With the Venture Out Project, the experience is being with people like you in your community that you can relate to and that you can find safety with that you may not have at home.”
- “I underestimated how meaningful it would be for me to be immersed in an all-LGBT group. I didn’t think it was something I needed, but I feel differently after this trip. It was so amazing for me to hear everyone's stories and to be in a group in which I am not the only queer person, which is how I spend so much of my time.”
- “The Venture Out Project changed my life. I had forgotten what it felt like to feel comfortable in a group. This is amazing.”
- Read more testimonials here.
Looking to get involved?
- Sign up for an overnight adventure here!
- Sign up for day hikes and events here!
- Become a volunteer and help The Venture Out Project towards their goal of providing hikes and day events for queer and trans people within a day’s drive of their hometimes, nationwide.
- Make a donation to help provide trans and queer participants the opportunity to experience the outdoors in a safe, supportive, and environmentally conscious way.
Meet the Author
Jordyn is Sunksi’s Marketing Coordinator. Embracing a nomadic work lifestyle, she now resides in Truckee, CA where you can find her exploring scenic hiking trails or embracing serenity through yoga. At Sunski, Jordyn's commitment to sustainability shines through her work on content and environmental nonprofit partnerships, making a positive impact on the world she loves to explore.
