The Woods Project is a nonprofit organization that prepares students for college and beyond by developing life and leadership skills through wilderness exploration and education. We achieve our goal through an after-school program, weekend outings and a 2-week summer trip. Our focus is on working with low-income students and we partner with many different schools in the Houston area. Go here to learn more.

Students can participate in the after-school program and weekend programs at no cost. There is a cost associated with attending the summer program. Students on the Free/Reduced Lunch Program pay not more than $675 to attend the summer trip. Most of our schools offer fundraising opportunities to help offset the cost, and TWP has some ability to offer need-based scholarships, so the total amount you owe will depend on the school you attend. If the financial commitment is a concern to you and your family, please get in touch with your school TWP contact to explore fundraising opportunities. If you are not on the Free/Reduced Lunch program, please Contact Us for more information.

If you attend one of our partner schools, you just need to speak to the teacher or administrator in charge of The Woods Project at your school. Here is our list of recent and current school partners. If your school is not currently a partner, we recommend you talking with a teacher or an administrator about The Woods Project and having them Contact Us if they’re interested in participating.

No problem! We will provide all of the equipment necessary at no extra cost and have trained staff that will make sure you have a fun and safe experience. Most of the students who participate in our programming have never camped before joining The Woods Project.

Please see the packing list links on this page for weekend trips and for the summer trip. Please also take weather conditions into consideration – if you’re going out on a particularly cold weekend, make sure to bring enough warm clothes. Remember that we will be outside most of the day, so the weather may feel different to you out in the woods than it does in the city.

The Woods Project provides all of the equipment at no extra cost. The packing lists include all of the items that you will need to bring with you.

Our goals at The Woods Project are for you to enjoy the outdoors, meet new people and develop stronger confidence and leadership skills. We find that these outcomes are best achieved unplugged and away from our cell phones. We ask teachers to collect cell phones and other electronics at the beginning of the trip and return them to students at the end of the trip. Most of our students enjoy the break from their cell phones during our trips, and we think you will too. Leaders do always carry phones in case of an emergency.

Every trip is different. Some typical activities include hiking, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, backpacking, trail restoration, cooking and more. See our Program Calendar for descriptions of our upcoming trips.

The Woods Project provides all of the food you will need on the trip. If you have a specific food restriction or allergy, please make sure to indicate that on the medical portion of the student application so we can plan accordingly.

Send us a message through our Contact Us form or through our Facebook or Instagram page.