GECKO Scholarships

Fulfilling our mission; To Give Every Child Knowledge of the Outdoors.

Giving Every Child Knowledge of the Outdoors (GECKO). The premise sounds simple enough. Yet study after study shows that our children aren't getting enough outdoor play. And this trend isn't improving.

Through donations and events, GECKO is raising money to help children from all walks of life experience outdoor programming through scholarships to the nation's leading outdoor education providers.

Through organizations like NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School), HMI (High-Mountain Institute) and WildPagosam, GECKO is enabling youth to reconnect with the outdoors through sensory exploration and hands-on experiences. One of the main goals of the program is to foster a deep respect and appreciation for the natural world and to encourage participants to become stewards of the earth.

Listen to what a GECKO scholarship recipient said about her time at High-Mountain Institute (HMI):

"I've learned my strengths and my weaknesses, physical and mental, my leadership abilities and how they affect a group of people. This HMI trip has been the most effective and wonderful experience that has happened in my life thus far. Thank you GECKO!"

—Mele, GECKO Scholarship Recipient - 2009

If you have, or are, a kid looking for this kind of change in your life contact us at scholarship@joingecko.org. Or fill out the Scholarship application below.

Scholarship Application (Word Document)

Scholarship Application (PDF)