"It was powerful having the opportunity to see youth take pride in their work from working on trails, in wetlands and building projects. They gained valuable employment skills in a supportive atmosphere. What I didn’t expect was how much personal growth I would see take place in such a short period of time. I challenged the crew to interact with the public and partners and at our debriefs at the end of the day the crew would authentically share what they were learning about themselves from their interactions. I was truly amazed to walk alongside them as they were inspired by others to be like them or have a job someday like them. One particular day, Doug Denning came to visit and as we checked the crab pots we set out earlier the crew was full of joy, laughing and just being together. When we debriefed the day one of the crew members shared that he didn’t think he could have a job and be happy. He said he is excited to find a career that he can be himself and enjoy working with real people who care about each other. The physical labor was not the end goal with this crew. Growing together and individually while learning to take risks provided long lasting meaningful memories they will take with them into their futures." -Summer Crew Leader, Jesse Johnson