A letter from Elsa Ramos

Picture by Steve Soesbe
My name is Elsa Ramos and I am 18 years old. I come from a low-income, Mexican-American family in San Francisco. I, and many people like me, don't ever get the chance to be able to leave the city and have a great experience like the one we just had with Seven Tepees. I feel extremely blessed to be able to come on this Retreat and grow as a person.
One thing that I truly appreciate about the retreat was that we had the luxury of being a part of the outdoor environment. We had time to balance ourselves with nature and enjoy our beautiful surroundings. Sleeping under the stars is a breathtaking experience-it is something that we rarely get to see living in a big city.The campfire was also something that gives us such a positive and great energy. It's great to have time to sit with my second family and reflect on all the good memories we created while being outdoors in the wild around a fire. "Leave No Trace" is a concept that Seven Tepees teaches us. Which basically means that since we appreciate what nature gives us we should show our gratitude by keeping it clean and not changing anything about it. The terrain was so nice and beautiful, that we had no problem in respecting the environment, since it was such a memorizing place.
During this retreat we were able to escape from all the troubles and difficulties we have to face at home, and reflect upon our lives. Together as a family we played games, shared laughs and created memories that will last a lifetime. We separated into little groups and had deep and personal conversations, we individually made collages to show our dreams and then put them all together, we got to make new friends and learn from one another. My favorite part of the trip was when our program coordinator read an inspirational poem to all of us and then told us to all write a poem about ourselves After we finished, we read them all out loud to each other. It was one of the most powerful thing I have ever experienced in my life. I got to see everyone's confident, revolutionary, leadership side come out and it was very inspirational.
I greatly appreciate all the people who made this trip possible. This truly was a life changing experience that i will never forget.
Many Thanks,
Elsa Ramos

High School Retreat pt.2

I have been a part of Seven Tepees for now going on it's seventh year--I've been to a lot of trips, but I can honestly the High School Retreat is the best trip I HAVE EVER BEEN ON!
Many of the youth who went on the previous High School Retreat always use to tell me "Man, It's the best","We be having hella fun!" so I had to experience it myself. And man do I have to agree with every word they mentioned. This trip helps youth get out the city, but more importantly prepares them for life. From learning how to De-escalate to learning about managing their finance. The Retreat allows every high schooler an opportunity to step up to the plate in becoming a great leader. So as long as this Retreat keeps running like it is already, we will continue seeing more leaders developed.

-Carlos Chan

High School Retreat!!

Mt.Lassen with high school

Mt. Lassen was a week long trip for both high school and middle school. This trip helps youth interact with nature and leave the city life behind for a while. Besides hiking and swimming we also do activities to build trust between all new incoming students from uprising high schoolers to incoming six graders and staff. At the end of the day this trip is one the best i have been part of.

-Carlos Chan

Mt.Lassen pt.3

"We just came back from a hike, and at first it was really hard because we were going up a hill and it was hot! I really learned alot of things like how to pack things into a backpack so it can fit perfectly. My experience backpacking was difficult but fun. I really enjoyed getting to know new people and the people who never camped before."

-Eliseo

Mt.Lassen pt.2

Seven Tepees Middle school Mt. Lassen