If your application is successful, you will be asked to complete a Club Plan form. Your club plan will detail the field trips you intend to take, outdoor skills your members will develop, equipment purchases, and other costs associated with running your club.

We require you to submit cost evidence with your plan, as it provides us a clear picture of how you intend to use funds. Cost evidence includes quotes from outdoor activity centers and transportation companies, links to online purchases, etc.

You can choose to submit a club plan for the entire upcoming school year, you can submit separate club plans – one each for the Fall and Spring semesters.

Once your school has successfully joined the program, you do not need to reapply. It is the Commission’s intention to support clubs into their second year. Funding for these clubs is contingent on an appropriation from the General Assembly and a specific amount will be determined annually by the Commission.

Grant awards will be sent directly to the recipient school system prior to the beginning of the Fall semester. It is important to ensure that your school’s bookkeeper is aware that you will be receiving funding. The Commission has no control over how a school receives their funding and, depending upon your school’s setup, funds may be sent directly to your school’s county office.

Eligible activities include, but are not limited to:

• Archery
• Backpacking
• Camping
• Canoeing
• Caving
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Horseback riding
• Hunting
• Kayaking
• Mountain biking
• Skiing
• Sport shooting
• White water rafting

Don’t see an activity on the list? Contact us at GoOutside@nc.gov to see if your planned activity fits our guidelines.

Funding is intended to build a club and fund field trips, club meeting activities, and equipment for the inaugural school year:

Field Trips

Field trips must include an outdoor learning component/activity (e.g., camping, hiking, kayaking) and may include visits to National/State parks, city/county parks, outdoor recreation areas, outdoor activity/education centers, and historical sites.

Club Meeting Activities

Club meetings provide an opportunity for students to be involved in planning and preparation for field trips, and to learn outdoor skills. Examples of skills students could learn about in a club meeting include how to: safely build a campfire, put up a tent, pack a backpack, cook with a campfire.

Equipment Purchases

Equipment purchases will be dependent on your club’s proposed activities but may include items such as fishing rods, tents, backpacks, kayaks, or first-aid kits.

Professional Development

Club advisors may request to utilize a portion of the funding for professional development that contributes to the safety and longevity of the club. This may include courses such as Wilderness First Aid.

Club funds must fund the purchases and costs as described in an approved application. If you need to make a change to your purchases, or need to reallocate funds from one purchase to another, you must first complete and submit an Amendment Request form, found HERE, and email it to GoOutside@nc.gov. Please note that an amendment request must be approved by the Commission before grant awards can be spent.

Our expectation is that club advisors will maximize the impact of their club funding by sustainably planning as many outdoor field trips as possible over the school year and holding regular activity/planning meetings with members. For example:

4 field trips to local outdoor areas (costing $2,000 each) to go camping, hiking, kayaking, fishing with $2,000 allocated to equipment (that can be reused) is preferable.

1 large field trip costing $10,000 with no sustainable equipment purchases is not preferable.

It is the Commission’s intention to support clubs into their second year. Funding for these clubs is contingent on an appropriation from the General Assembly and a specific amount will be determined annually by the Commission. It is strongly encouraged that club advisors and faculty formulate a strategy for fundraising and club sponsorship. The Commission has rolled out sponsorship levels, that give donors the option to make one-time or recurring gifts to the agency or specific school systems. Learn more about our sponsorship levels HERE.

We send regular newsletters to club advisors via email and Slack. Upon acceptance to the program you will be added to the email list and receive an invite to the channel, or you may contact us at GoOutside@nc.gov to request an invite.

We encourage club advisors to network and communicate via the Trailblazers Slack channel. Upon acceptance to the program you will receive an invite to the channel, or you may contact us at GoOutside@nc.gov to request an invite.

Absolutely, where possible we encourage club advisors from different schools to work together.

You can access downloadable resources to assist you with club planning and promotion in the club advisors portal found HERE.

If there are activities that your school is not permitted to engage in, you may contact us at GoOutside@nc.gov to explore whether there are alternative activities that would be permissible. If you have access to your school field trip policies, we recommend sharing them with us so that the Commission can evaluate field trip options.

At the end of the school year, you are required to submit a Club Reporting form, proof of payment, and photographs. You can view grant reporting information HERE. The following documentation is required:

Club Reporting Form

This form is where the advisor will indicate how much of their funding has been spent and indicate whether there are funds remaining. This form is signed by the club advisor and the school’s Principal.

Proof of Payment

For each purchase we require two forms of proof of payment, to include a copy of a check stub and/or account transaction summary AND a receipt, invoice, or purchase order.

Photographs

Recipients must submit photographs of their field trips and club activities that we may use on our website, social media, and in our print and other materials.

Club funds must fund the purchases and costs listed in an approved application. If you need to make a change to your application, you must first complete and submit an Amendment Request form, found HERE, and email it to GoOutside@nc.gov. Please note that an amendment request must be approved by the Commission before grant awards can be spent as described.

If this is the case, you must first complete and submit an Amendment Request form designating a new club advisor. The Amendment Form can be downloaded HERE, then emailed to GoOutside@nc.gov.

The Trailblazers Retreat is an annual event, led by Commission staff, providing opportunities to learn more about the program. It includes networking opportunities, guest speakers, and options to participate in outdoor activities. Club advisors will receive information on signing up via the email newsletter and Slack channel. Contact GoOutside@nc.gov for more information.

Club funds are intended to be utilized throughout the school year. If funds are leftover the club advisor will document this on a Club Reporting form at the end of the school year so that they can be carried over to the next school year. can request the use of unused funds for the club’s activities in the next school year.

If a club is intending to exit the program, unspent funds must be returned by check to:

N.C. Youth Outdoor Engagement Commission

1715  Mail Service Center

Raleigh, NC 27699-1715