Famed 19th-century self-promoter Phineas T. Barnum often opined that there’s no such thing as bad publicity. And while that philosophy certainly worked well for the American circus owner, we here at The National Center for Outdoor and Adventure Education (NCOAE) have discovered that a little promotion for a genuinely good cause can go even further.

We scored some valuable press coverage recently, and we weren’t a bit shy about our self-promoting efforts. The result was a seven-minute video-enhanced piece of journalism titled Beyond the Classroom, beautifully produced by EducationNC, an independent source of news, data, and analysis of education for the people of North Carolina. EdNC’s content encourages the public’s participation and leadership on behalf of school children in this state.

With kids’ education top of mind, we reached out to EdNC, suggesting the news organization might want to send a reporter or two to investigate our Education Without Walls program. Education Without Walls is NCOAE’s not-for-profit subsidiary. It is a wilderness-based outdoor education program for teenagers, many of whom — through no fault of their own — live at or below the federal poverty level.

Following a number of phone conversations between our administrators and theirs — as well as a few face-to-face meetings and invites to view some of our previously produced videos — EdNC committed to send Robert Kinlaw, a journalist and award-winning documentary filmmaker, along with Alex Granados, a researcher and legislative reporter for EducationNC, to our headquarters in Wilmington, N.C., to join us on two of our five-day Education Without Walls wilderness adventures.

The two trips — one a sea kayaking adventure and the other a backpacking trek — were brilliantly captured on film, along with interviews with NCOAE staff members and their young charges.

As you’ll see below, we couldn’t be more thrilled with the results, and we truly appreciate EdNC’s coverage of Education Without Walls.

Beyond the Classroom from Robert Kinlaw on Vimeo.

If you enjoy the video and are favorably impressed with Education Without Walls, we’re going to step up again and do some more self-promotion. We’re going to ask you to consider making a charitable donation to Education Without Walls by helping enroll a deserving member of the community in an upcoming wilderness outing.

As the video demonstrates, these students do far more than just learning how to set up a tent or cook outdoors. Our program teaches these deserving youth how to identify and improve their decision-making and communications skills, with many of them experiencing a sense of self-worth for the first time in their young lives. So, we urge you to make a donation to NCOAE for Education Without Walls today.

Here are a few options for donating:

• Make a Gift-in-Kind. We’re always in need of new outdoor gear. Equipment wears out and Education Without Walls is expanding. Call us at (910) 399-8090 and let us tell you about our wish list.
• Volunteer Your Expertise. Each of you possesses a unique set of skills and talents. Let’s have a conversation. Tell us how you’d like to help. Call us today at (910) 399-8090.
• Share Our Message. Get the word out. Tell your friends and family about the good work we do. Approach people who have a passion for education, the outdoors and helping people youth get a head start on all that life has in store.
• Share This Blog Post: Join us in some promotion of your own. Send this blog post to your friends and relatives and urge them to get involved in the future of these North Carolina youngsters who deserve the best education possible.
• Make a Donation: You knew we’d ask, and since Education Without Walls is a not-for-profit subsidiary of The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education, your cash donation is considered tax deductible nu the IRS. To make a donation or inquire about the covering the cost of one student to participate in Education Without Walls, call us today at (910) 399-8090.