Each year Bodhi, donates vacation packages to non-profit organizations that are running programs for the future leaders of our world. Bodhi deliberately partners in supporting programs that empowers youth to advocate for better environmental solutions and also to be leaders and team players. We are very proud of the programs we support because we strongly believe in experiential learning and giving youth the tools they need to be innovative solution makers and stewards of change.

Photo c/o Grades of Green

Grades of Green

Grades of Green is one of the non-profits that we at Bodhi are donating to this year, and feel very strongly that this organization is very impactful and we are excited to share their mission! Grades of Green is excited to inspire and empower kids around the globe to advocate for improving waste and water issues in their community.

We plan on doing this through our Water and Waste Campaigns where we will continue to work one-on-one with student groups around the world to research water or waste issues in their community, come up with some innovative solutions to those environmental issues, and then educate their community on how to implement those solutions.

This fall, Grades of Green will be working with student groups to develop customized water quality and water conservation solutions. Any student in grades 5th-12th can participate for free, and the programs will be open to school groups, after school programs, sports teams, community teams, and more! The winning campaign teams will also receive a $500 grant to go toward expanding their innovative water solutions, and one grand prize winner will receive a $1,000 grant. All of the proceeds from Bodhi’s donations will go to supporting students within Grades of Green programs, like our Water and Waste Campaigns.

Photo c/o FBRA

French Broad River Academy

Bodhi also proudly chooses to donate to French Broad River Academy (FBRA) which works on supporting the growth of students as role models and leaders of their generation! FBRA is a middle school in Asheville, North Carolina that has different campuses for boys and girls and differentiates itself as a school by having an outdoor education program. FBRA builds confidence, teamwork, and leadership skills in our students is through the outdoor education program.

FBRA students spend one day each week in the field, either tandem whitewater canoeing, downhill skiing, hiking, climbing, or performing service work. In addition to these weekly field days, the students and staff participate in four outdoor expeditions each year that last between three and five days. Every grade from each school also travels to Costa Rica for a week to provide the opportunity for students to grow through their experiences in local home stays, service work, and outdoor experiences (surfing, kayaking, and volcano exploration). Challenging students to push themselves in the outdoors, academics, and international travel provides the impetus for growth through success and failure.

Our students learn quickly that flipping a canoe in a rapid or taking a fall while surfing is simply an opportunity to improve and grow.

For the past eight years, FBRA seventh graders have travelled to us at Bodhi Surf + Yoga to surf, do service and stay with local families. This year, Bodhi donated a week stay for two to the annual Spring Splash Fundraiser and the raffle tickets earned the school $5,000 that will be spent to support outdoor and academic programming.

Proud partnerships

Here at Bodhi we understand the importance of supporting other organizations that emphasize the passion and need to educate the youth through experiential learning. Immersing ourselves in the harmony of nature, creating opportunities to use failures as portals of growths, and educating ourselves about our communities all contribute to a type of learning we cannot always attain from a desk. We are so proud to support both

Photo c/o Grades of Green

Grades of Green and FBRA as they recognize that the youth is the next generation of leaders in our communities and on planet Earth!

Written by Kerry Dunn