Sarah Cryder: Celebrating 30 Years of Building Belonging -- City Kids Wilderness Project
What Happens When Young People Know They Belong
Sarah Cryder
“The outdoors are powerful, but they aren’t what changes young people’s lives. It’s what happens together in those places, the relationships, the confidence, and the sense of belonging- that stays with them forever.”
--Sarah Cryder, Executive Director, City Kids Wilderness Project
When Spring Valley's Sarah Cryder talks about the outdoors, she rarely starts with mountains. She starts with people.
For Sarah, the outdoors have never been just about adventure. They’re places where young people discover confidence, build relationships, and realize they belong. That belief is at the heart of City Kids Wilderness Project, where Sarah has led the organization since 2017.
Some organizations change lives through a single experience. City Kids changes lives by surrounding young people with a community that shows up year after year. That community includes participants, families, staff, alumni, volunteers, business partners, and neighbors like those here in Spring Valley who believe every young person deserves the opportunity to thrive.
More than an Outdoor Program
At first glance, City Kids may look like an outdoor education organization. Spend a little more time with the organization, however, and a different story emerges.
City Kids is a year-round youth development organization rooted in Washington, DC, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Through more than 157 days of free programming each year, participants engage in experiential learning, leadership development, college and career readiness, wilderness expeditions, and mentorship.
Young people join City Kids in sixth grade and continue through high school graduation, participating in six or more consecutive years of programming alongside the same cohort they began with at age 11. Every program is 100% free for participants and their families.
Over time, young people build confidence, resilience, leadership skills, and lifelong relationships. More than 500 alumni are living proof of what’s possible when young people are surrounded by caring adults who believe in their potential.
City Kids’ work happens through partnership. Organizations like Patagonia, REI, Calleva, Outward Bound, and Horton’s Kids work alongside City Kids to strengthen programming and create new opportunities for youth. Right here in Spring Valley, Smile Valley Pediatric Dentistry supports campers through donations of essential supplies and a community gear drive that helps equip young people for their wilderness experiences.
Over nearly three decades, City Kids has learned something powerful: lasting transformation doesn’t come from one extraordinary experience. It grows from consistent relationships, meaningful challenges, and a community that believes in young people long before they fully believe in themselves.
The Leader Behind the Mission
Sarah’s career has always centered on expanding opportunity for young people. Before joining City Kids, she advised education organizations, foundations, school systems, and nonprofits on strategy, organizational growth, and improving life outcomes for youth from underinvested communities. That combination of strategic leadership and mission-driven work prepared her to lead City Kids through a period of remarkable growth.
Since joining the organization in 2017, Sarah has led City Kids through three strategic plans, expanded programming in Washington, DC, and Wyoming, strengthened partnerships, and doubled the organization’s annual revenue while increasing youth engagement. Throughout that growth, one principle has remained constant: lasting impact begins by investing in people.
Sarah holds a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. She also serves on regional and national leadership initiatives and boards focused on youth development and expanding access to the outdoors.
At home in Spring Valley, Sarah and her husband, Scott, are raising their children, Noah and Mia, alongside their Australian Labradoodle, Rosie. Whether she’s walking near trees or water, talking with friends, or listening to the latest Esther Perel podcast, she finds herself returning to the same belief that guides both her life and her leadership: people thrive when they know they belong.
“What inspires me most is watching young people discover strengths they never knew they had,” Sarah says. “I’ve watched sixth graders become confident graduates, alumni return as mentors, and families become part of a community that lasts long after a program ends. That’s the kind of impact that changes lives.”
Continuing the Story
As City Kids celebrates its 30th anniversary, the organization is entering an exciting new chapter through its Rooted + Rising strategic plan, expanding leadership opportunities, strengthening career pathways, and preparing for a new summer home that will serve generations of young people.
Today, Sarah is inviting her Spring Valley neighbors to help write the next chapter of the City Kids story.
Join Spring Valley for City Kids
Every young person’s journey begins with someone who believes in them.
Spring Valley for City Kids is a growing community of neighbors, families, and businesses helping create opportunities for the next generation of leaders.
Whether you choose to make a gift, volunteer your expertise, introduce City Kids to your company, or simply learn more about the organization, you’ll help ensure every young person has the opportunity to discover who they can become.
Visit CityKidsDC.org/stroll to:
- Join Spring Valley for City Kids
- Make a gift that supports 157+ days of free, year-round programming
- Explore volunteer and partnership opportunities
- Learn more about City Kids and upcoming events
Because when young people know they belong, there’s no limit to what they can become.
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Sidebar
Camp Director Montae Franklin
Camp Director Montae Franklin is a City Kids alum and former staff member. Montae started at City Kids as an 11 year old camper in 2003 and stayed in the program until his high school graduation. He has returned in many different roles over the years, both in DC and on the Ranch in Wyoming to make sure he’s “staying grounded with the kids.” Montae has been a volunteer, a camp counselor and most returned to City Kids in 2023 to help run the alumni program.
The City Kids Alumni Program aims to establish regular check-ins and support with graduated youth, offer mentorship and career planning assistance, provide post-secondary education and job coaching, organize alumni outdoor adventures and networking gatherings, and offer volunteer engagement and job opportunities within City Kids programs.
“The trips that I did as a camper, junior staff, or even a counselor … really helped build my mental health … and resilience. A trip could start out, the first two days, it’s like the worst days of your life. But when the trip ends, you realize it was the best point of your life, and it helped me realize if I put my mind to it I can do anything I want. As cliche as it sounds, I think that’s true: if you got a plan, and you get some support behind you, I really do believe you could do anything.”