570 Milner Rd Versailles, Ky 40383 (859)873-3271
September 8, 2015 Melissa Hall Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs 1111B Louisville Rd. Frankfort, KY, 40601 Re: Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs Grant Application We are excited about this opportunity to partner with the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs to launch Veterans Youth Resiliency Camps and increase our impact on veterans in Kentucky. Life Adventure Center’s positive impact and innovation can be found in our carefully crafted outdoor adventure challenges used to help impoverished kids boost their resiliency, military families connect after deployment, and PTSD veterans heal. Lessons learned through our unique outdoor adventures extrapolate to our clients’ every-day life through a process called “debriefing.” More than just recreational fun (and make no mistake – we do have a lot of fun!), Veterans Youth Resiliency Camps uniquely combine evidenced-based theories of experiential learning, child development, psychology, neuro-plasticity, sociology and group dynamics to affect personal growth with a speed and impact unavailable through traditional methods. Having proven the efficacy of this resiliency model with PTS veterans and women rescued from sex-trafficking, we are confident that this program will facilitate positive life changes in our campers. Enclosed is our application and additional items that will highlight Veterans Youth Resiliency Camps. We welcome you to visit and see first-hand, any of our other military programs in progress this year. Thank you for consideration of this request and especially thank you for the caring concern and love you show to the veterans of Kentucky. We look forward to serving our veteran community further by partnering with Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs to launch our 5 ½ day Veterans Youth Resiliency Camps. Sincerely, Byron Marlowe U.S. Army Veteran Program Director Life Adventure Center
Kentucky Veterns Program Trust Fund Office of the Commissioner 1111B Louisville Road Frankfort, Kentucky 40601 (502) 564-9203 (502) 564-9240 (fax) www.veterans.ky.gov Date:
9/5/2015
Life Adventure Center Name & 570 Milner Road Address of Versailles, Ky, 40383 Requesting Organization:
Are You a 501 (c) (3) Organization
✔
Yes
No
IRS 501 (c) 61-0461733 (3) Number
Byron Marlowe Name & Title Program Director of Contact Person:
Email Address: Purpose of Organization & Services Rendered: Total Project Cost:
Byron@lifeadventurecenter.org
Phone/Fax: 859-229-6807
LAC’s positive impact and innovation can be found in its carefully crafted outdoor adventure challenges used to help impoverished kids boost their resiliency, military families connect after deployment, and PTSD veterans heal. Lessons learned through our unique outdoor adventures extrapolate to our clients’ every-day life through a process called “debriefing.” More than just recreational fun (and make no mistake – we do have a lot of fun!), Life Amount Adventure Center applies evidenced-based theories$55,960.00 of experiential learning, $382,347.00 Being child development, psychology, neuro-plasticity, sociology and group Requested: dynamics to affect personal growth with a speed and impact unavailable through traditional methods. As a recognized leader in our industry, we are committed to serving wounded warriors, military families and youth. With the help of some dedicated partners in 2009, we started our Warrior Adventure Program to serve the needs of veterans and their families. Since 2009, we have remained on the cutting edge of serving the needs of veterans and their families, successfully implementing: - 4 Operation Military Kids Family Camps (Since 2009) - Multi-day camps for military families who have one or both parents deployed to the war zones. Operation: Military Kids is the U.S. Army's collaborative effort with America's communities to support children and youth impacted by deployment. Regardless of whether families are experiencing deployment for the first time or another in a series of multiple deployments, OMK’s goal is to connect 1 military children and youth with local resources in order to achieve a sense of community support and enhance their well-being. - 29 Military Teen Adventure Camps (Since 2010) - Programs which bring
Agenda:
Agenda/Timeline for Development of Veterans Youth Resiliency Camps November 2015 - February 2016 - Design curriculum and develop surveys to quantify outcomes February - March 2016 - Develop marketing materials and advertise Veterans Youth Resiliency Camps March 2016 - June 2016 - Manage camper registration. July 2016 - Launch Veterans Youth Resiliency Camps July 2016 - September 2016 - Quantify outcomes and efficacy of Veterans Youth Resiliency Camps
Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs grant funds will be utilized to expand our Warrior Adventure Program to serve children of injured, ill, or deceased veterans. All monies will support development and implementation of Veterans Youth Resiliency Camps. This innovative, evidence-based trauma-detox program provides a powerful healing experience for children of injured, ill, or deceased veterans. We have innovated a healing process that combines and synthesizes a variety of evidence-based healing methods from across the spectrum of studies regarding human wellbeing.
Purpose for Which Funding is Requested & How Will It Benefit Veterans:
List Funding Sources & Amountes Anticipated or Received:
Benefit to Veterans and their families: By taking troubled youth out of their comfort level (while still ensuring safety), challenging them to solve problems as a team, and facilitating debriefing sessions, LAC builds confidence, communication and team work skills. The thrilling nature of our activities (climbing tall heights, navigating a high ropes course as a team, walking a labyrinth, working with horses) creates an immediate and long lasting impression unavailable through other methods. Through the process of outdoor challenge and debriefing (lead by trained, certified professionals and following the theories of Case Western Management School’s, Dr. Kolb & Fry’s, “Experiential Learning Cycle,” Stanford psychologist, Dr. Bandura’s “Self-Efficacy” Theory and others), Experiential Education rapidly achieves positive change and life skill development. These skills, properly debriefed, achieve transference into all aspects of our participants’ lives. Thus, an at-risk youth overcoming her fear of heights by climbing a 40 foot wall, transfers that experience to resist peer pressure or perhaps gain the confidence to aspire to college. Similarly, our Veterans Youth Resiliency Camps will allow traumatized children of injured, ill, or deceased veterans to bond and positively reconnect with other teen children who have endured similar traumatic experiences. Transferring that connection into the home strengthens the family unit. When combined with therapy, youth suffering from adjustment problems, survivor guilt, or PTS simply heal faster and actually change the way their brain works through neuro-plasticity.
Projected 2016 Warrior Adventure Program Funding: Department of Defense Grant sub-award through University of Kentucky – $118,766 – 2016 grant award +$53,151 – projected 2016 grant extension = $171,919 Projected Grant - Special Forces Charitable Trust = $73, 529 Projected private and corporate donations = $43,939 Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs = $55,960 John Cleveland Foundation (Life Adventure Center) = $37,000 Total 2016 Warrior Adventure Budget = $382, 347 See Appendix A for Budgetary Details
2
If sufficient funds are not raised for this project, we will utilize our expansive contact network to seek out alternative funding streams for Veterans Youth Resiliency Camps. Through recent If Sufficient analysis and outreach, we have identified the following prospective funding sources: Funds Are Not -Golden Corral - Camp Corral Foundation Raised for this -Special Ops Warrior Foundation Project, What -Gheens Foundation Pleans Does -The Scariot Foundation Fund the Organization -Kentucky Colonels -Disabled Veterans of America Have for -Wounded Warrior Project Completing the -Infinite Hero Foundation Project: -AMBA Star Foundation -Wounded Warrior Project
Over the past 12 months, our Warrior Adventure Programs have served over 250 Number of Veterans Directly veterans/military service members, spouses, and children. Served By Your Organization In the Past 12 Months:
Program Development time-line: 2015 - Design curriculum, develop surveys, design marketing materials, and advertise Veterans Youth Resiliency Camps March 2016 - June 2016 - Manage camper registration. What Are the Long-Term Plans July 2016 - Launch Veterans Youth Resiliency Camps 2017 - Expand Veterans Youth Resiliency Camp offerings, Secure additional funding from for Supporting other partners This Project? 2018 - Solidify long-term funding, multi-year grants, and support from private foundations. Please Provide Publish findings of program research study. Establish partnerships with other ACA Details: accredited camps to host expansion of Veterans Youth Resiliency Camps.
What Are The Learning Objectives of This Request:
At Life Adventure Center, we believe in the power of strategic partnerships. Many of our signature Warrior Adventure Programs have been established on the foundation of strategic partnerships. We have identified several key strategic partners to guarantee programmatic and funding development for Veterans Youth Resiliency Camps. Through Learning Objectives: our with military families, youth, and wounded warriors, we have built strong -Buildprevious self-efficacywork (self-confidence) relationships atskills bothrelated Ft. Knox andcoping Ft. Campbell as well as with various and National - Increase resiliency to creative strategies, problem solving, communication adjustingGuard, to changeand with relationships.units By being placedthe in new and unusual situations,partners campers receive the tools theyinneed determinesection constructive Reserve across state. Key funding are identified thetofunding of solutions to problems and succeed, resulting in a feeling of shared accomplishment. this as well as resolution, in the attached budget. Specificskills entities that we have -Buildgrant problemapplication, solving, goal setting, conflict communication, and leadership - Decrease in levels of anxiety andcapacities depression throughout the planning and execution of previous partnered with in various -Increase include: formal/informal support systems for youth by providing a safe and welcoming environment in which to vocalize camps Save A Warrior, Kentucky National Guard; Reserve; Fort Campbell and hopes, fears, dreams and opportunities together and with other families that have been through similar experiences. Fort and School Services, Wounded Warrior Battalions, Exceptional -TeachKnox positiveChild, coping Youth skills - i.e. mindfulness/meditation Family Member Programs; the University Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service and Veterans Resource Center; the Kentucky Military Caregiver Network; VA Medical Center Operation: Military Kids; Operation: Military Kids (OMK). We will leverage our extensive network to reach deserving youth, create funding partners, and establish sustainable funding streams for this program.
Each Request Shall Include: Cover Letter / Program Description Program Budget Detail Agenda (if applicapble)