Why This Matters Now

We are living in a time of profound transition. Disconnection, anxiety, and polarization are pulling communities apart. Young adults are navigating life’s most critical passage, while frontline mentors are burning out under constant strain. At the same time, wilderness—the great teacher and healer—is sidelined.

Open Circle’s Wayfinders program is seeding a remedy:

Youth step into adulthood with purpose and belonging.
Mentors (veterans, teachers, first responders, community leaders) receive support and training to lead as a guide
Communities weave themselves back together through shared stories and service.
Elders share their wisdom and it is heard and they in turn are inspired by the spark if our youth
Wilderness is honored as partner and teacher, not just backdrop.

What We’re Building

Wayfinders is more than one program. It’s a cultural technology for renewal.

🌱 The Pod Model — 1 mentor + 2–3 young adults = intergenerational, cross-community support.
🌍 The Journey — 6–10 days in wilderness, culminating in a 24-hour solo rite of passage supported by guides and elders deeply connecting to place.
🤝 The Integration — participants return to their communities to servie their community with their gifts, ongoing mentor circles, and strengthened networks.

This design doesn’t just transform individuals — it builds capacity: training mentors, strengthening nonprofits, caring for and building respect for the environment and seeding coalitions across sectors.

Where We Are & Where We’re Going

Ventura County (2026 Pilot) — Launching in the Sespe Wilderness with four pods from across the county, supported by local youth nonprofits, elders, and land stewards.
Alaska (2026 Pilot) — In partnership with Heroes Healing Homestead and local youth-serving organizations, we are bringing Wayfinders to Alaska’'s abundant wilderness. This pilot weaves together veterans, young adults, and community mentors to create healing and resilience rooted in land and homesteading culture.
Scaling Nationally — Future Wayfinders programs are already in conversation in Delaware, Oregon, and beyond, adapting to local cultures while staying rooted in shared principles.
Seeding the model globally — Open Circle’s approach is decentralized and adaptable: training mentors, strengthening local organizations, and connecting networks for long-term sustainability. Our model; is to work with the strong relationships we already have across the world to support guides in seeding these principles wherever the ground is ready.

With each journey, capacity grows: more trained mentors, stronger partnerships, and a living network of communities reweaving themselves. Our scaling is not empire building but built through deep relationships, grassroots action and developed over time in local networks.

The Impact of Your Giving

💡 A Young Adult’s Story: Isaac is a young adult who attended a Rite of Passage in April 2025.

The past 5 days I have had some of the most impactful and life
changing moments I have ever experienced, whether it be standing
atop of a fire tower staring in awe at how the hot pink sunset washed
over the sea of forest and mountains, or coming to a deeper
understanding the human experience, uncovering pieces of me I
wouldn’t find if I wasn’t on the trip.This trip has forever changed the lives of
everyone who went on it for the better and I
know that for the rest of my life I will always
remember this trip and I will cherish the
memories and emotions felt till my final breath.

💡 A Mentor’s Story: Antonio is a veteran and now the owner of a gym in Delaware.

Going into this trip, I was hoping for a life changing experience, but I didn't know the depths of that change and what would be required to elicit it. From the very beginning of this program, I was faced with challenges, both physical and mental, but the guides "lead without leading" and steered me up the mountain. During our fireside circles, we delved deep into pain points and unpacked years of suffering and trauma. In only 6 days I came out with a renewed belief in myself and what I was capable of. This trip definitely changed my life and I am now putting in the work to ensure others receive value from the work that was done up there.

What Your Funds Make Possible

$250 — Equip a young adult with gear + preparation coaching.
$1,000 — Sponsor a frontline mentor's training.
$5,000 — Fund an entire pod in the Sespe in California .
$25,000+ — Seed a new community pilot in Alaska (mentor training + nonprofit partnership + service projects).

✨ Together, we can turn two wilderness pilots — in Ventura County and Alaska — into a movement of renewal across communities.

Donate Today — Heal People, Heal Place, Heal the Future.

Wayfinders

Team Members