b'BUILDING OUR BASE: AN INVESTMENT IN CULTURE AND COMMUNITYWellness and connection dont stop with our students. Our field Instructors need this too. Outward Bound California, like so many other industries, is facing a massive staff shortage. Without Instructors, we cant serve more students or achieve our mission. They are truly the magic makers - deeply empathetic teachers, highly skilled risk managers, passionate environmentalists and trained professionals. It takes two years to train an entry-level Instructor into a lead Instructor through days and weeks on the trail under the mentorship of more experienced staff. We have a long term goal to increase our pool of Instructors and ensure they are as racially diverse and gender expansive as the youth we serve. Its a tall order!Full-time positions, higher pay, benefits, paid training, professional development funds, access to mental health services, and year round work are some of the investments we have already made in our field Instructors. They also receive room and board when they are working at one of our two basecamp locations. The community built on these live/work basecamps is vital in retaining Instructors and creating a sense of belonging.Stephanie Sherman, field Instructor of five years said, People come back and keep doing this work because of the built-in community. This community is home. Its a place to refresh, prepare and reflect.Its time that our basecamps in Joshua Tree and Midpines draw staff in for more than community, but also serve the physical needs of staff. Both locations need investment in housing, infrastructure, warehouse space, kitchens, bathrooms and climate controlled spaces so staff can weather the temperature extremes. To this end, we launched a capital campaign, Build our Base, and haveLearn more about raised nearly $1,000,000 of the $4,000,000 needed to complete the purchase and upgrades of bothour Build our Base properties. Campaign, email [email protected]'