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Introduction.

GOALS youth river expeditions connect kids to peers, planet, and self using an innovative curriculum delivered on wilderness river expeditions. Our financial assistance is centered around a core value that every child benefits from the individual growth and group camaraderie that develop throughout a GOALS expedition - and that cost should not prevent an anyone who is interested from participating.

Through the tireless fundraising efforts of our small staff and the generous donations of individuals, businesses, and foundations that support our mission, GOALS has been able to provide enough financial aid that no child has ever been unable to participate due to their inability to cover costs. This is a streak we are proud to have kept alive for 10 consecutive years - and one that we don’t intend to break in 2020.

The GOALS financial assistance committee views this as a team effort, and makes awards based on a combination of need, individual effort, and fund availability. Awards generally cover 10-40% of the total program cost, with successful applicants at the higher end of that scale demonstrating a combination of significant need and dedicated individual/family effort to fund raise or work for their portion.

Process.

  1. Apply for the 2020 expedition that you are interested in. GOALS will thoughtfully review your application and connect with your references. If we feel that you’re a great candidate for a GOALS youth river expedition, we’ll send you an acceptance and a placement letter for one of the expeditions you’ve applied to participate in.

  2. When you receive your placement letter, you can then register and secure your spot on the expedition team. Doing so requires a $250 deposit for expeditions in the US, or $1500 for international expeditions. This serves as a commitment to your program.

  3. Complete the financial assistance application below. If you have more than one child participating in a single season, a separate financial assistance application must be submitted for each child.

  4. While we are reviewing your application, take action. Lead by example. Use your individual GOALS payment portal to raise money from your support network, or get involved in a GOALS event. Any money you raise goes directly toward the cost of your expedition.

  5. The GOALS financial assistance window is open from January 1 through March 31. After this window for applications closes, award recipients will be notified via email.

Eligibility.

Anyone is eligible to apply for financial assistance from GOALS. In general, families with lower household incomes are given priority - though aid may be available to families with higher incomes that have multiple children enrolled in GOALS expeditions, or who have extenuating circumstances described in their application. Please be aware that proof of 2019 annual income in the form of a tax return may be requested for your financial assistance application to be considered.