Trails Momentum, a young adult adventure-based outdoor program, is helping their students register and obtain absentee voting ballots. Interested students are able to participate and mail in their ballots. Trails Momentum facilitated online registration and absentee voting this past spring for the primary election as well.

Students are briefed on current events throughout their time at Momentum and are given the opportunity to learn more about all election candidates. In the Introduction to Communication and Leadership class, students watch news debriefings to stay informed. Staying connected with current events while at the program helps students process challenges and potential points of anxiety.

Students are given the option of whether or not they’d like to participate in the election process. Sarah Parlier, Ph.D., Director of Student Development, is aiding them in this process. “Right now, I would say that over 80% of our students intend to cast their vote,” she said. In addition to ballots, students have requested candidate information to inform themselves of the choices. 

Because Trails Momentum serves young adults from all over the country, they are helping students from several different states register and request their ballots. “This year, the process [for ballot requests] is online for almost every state,” Parlier said. This has made it easier for students to participate in the civic process while in the program. One of Momentum’s key elements is helping students find their own voice, in any situation, and registering to vote speaks directly to this valuable skill.

As a young adult program, Trails Momentum incorporates life skills into their adventure-based programming. They are using this opportunity to teach students how to register, request an absentee ballot, and how to vote. This will help prepare them to be active members of their communities after graduating from the program.

Trails Momentum is an adventure-based outdoor program for young adults ages 18-25 who are struggling to launch themselves into adulthood. Students are guided on a journey of self-discovery where they develop self-concept and are empowered to make the transition into independence. Adventure programming, clinical services, family involvement, college coursework, and social skill development are seamlessly interwoven to maximize the transference of important life skills and address clinical and behavioral challenges.