Pathways to Learning Awarded $383,000 from Mercy C.A.R.E.S.; Grant to Support Pathways to Resilience
(Mayer, Ariz. – Sept. 9, 2024) – Mercy C.A.R.E.S. has awarded Pathways to Learning a 2024 Mercy C.A.R.E.S. Community Reinvestment Grant in the amount of $383,000. The grant supports the organization’s Pathways to Resilience initiative, which offers children in foster care and their caregivers an outdoor weekend camp experience that teaches practical “take-home” tools to help children self-regulate, build resilience, and recover from Adverse Childhood Experiences.
“Our vision in 2009 at our onset was to transform traditional outdoor activities into enrichment and firsthand learning experiences that bring together Mother Nature and important principals of science, technology, and mathematics,” said Timothy D. Magill, M.S., chief executive officer of Pathways to Learning.
As the camps got up and running, the team was adamant about finding a means to involve Title 1 schools via grant and other funding mechanisms.
“We immediately saw the social emotional benefits to our programs in addition to the educational components and began making plans on how to connect with the more than 12,000 children in foster care to offer them the chance to be a part of our programming,” said Magill, whose team began developing relationships with several social service agencies.
As a result, Pathways to Resilience was born.
“In recent years, the team applied for and earned a Mercy C.A.R.E.S. Community Reinvestment grant to support the launch of program. This year, we are humbled and overwhelmed to be granted this $383,000 to continue our critical work as well as expand to offer equine therapy as well,” said Magill.
Camps begin on Friday evenings when the families are greeted by our gregarious, professionally trained and highly certified staff. After a guided tour and cabin assignments, the families enjoy a nutritious dinner followed by ice-breaker games lead by the staff.
“The following two days find our families engaging in a wide variety of fun, carefully sequenced, outdoor activities that include solving problems together on our ‘low ropes’ challenge course, playing outdoor sports and games, hitting a target at our archery range, kayaking on our ponds, learning mindfulness through a guided outdoor labyrinth walk, and now interacting with our horses through an equine assisted learning/psychotherapy encounter,” said Magill.
Mercy C.A.R.E.S., which stands for Community Action Resources Education and Service, is Mercy Care’s community giving initiative. Through grant funding, sponsorships, volunteer efforts and board participation, Mercy C.A.R.E.S. supports AHCCCS’ Whole Person Care Initiative, which addresses social risk factors to improve health outcomes.
“The Pathways to Resilience project gives foster/kinship care families the opportunity to spend time together in a relaxed, outdoor setting while learning resilience-building techniques. This grant incorporates Equine Assisted Learning for youth as well as workshops for caregivers to help their children build resilience and learn to calm anxieties,” said Trisha Stuart, Mercy Care director of community relations.
For more information, visit www.pathwaystolearning.org.
About Mercy Care
Mercy Care is a not-for-profit Medicaid managed care health plan, serving AHCCCS members in Arizona since 1985. Mercy Care is a local company sponsored by Dignity Health and Ascension Health. Mercy Care provides access to physical and behavioral health care services for Medicaid-eligible families, children, seniors, and individuals with developmental/cognitive disabilities. Learn more at www.MercyCareAZ.org.
