Impact Grant: Pathfinder Ranch
Peter Daut
MOUNTAIN CENTER, Calif. (KESQ) – News Channel 3 and the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation presented another Impact Grant to improve lives and help those in need. A $25,000 charitable gift was awarded to Pathfinder Ranch to support camp scholarships for Coachella Valley children, as well as the camp’s horse program.
Nestled in the mountains of Mountain Center, Pathfinder Ranch is giving children a chance to unplug, explore nature, and create lifelong memories.
The summer camp, which serves children ages 7 to 14, offers a wide range of outdoor activities, including rock climbing, horseback riding, canoeing, hiking, archery, and more.
Ten-year-old camper Abigail Fargo said being surrounded by nature is one of her favorite parts of the experience.
“I love it,” Fargo said. “I love nature, and I love going on hikes and playing outside. It’s really fun.”
Pathfinder Ranch is dedicated to helping children from diverse backgrounds build confidence, develop new skills, and form lasting friendships through outdoor experiences.
Camper Iker Ayon said he has already learned several new activities during his time at camp.
“I learned how to rock climb, I learned how to do archery in the archery range,” Ayon said. Although he initially struggled with some of the activities, he said he eventually figured them out and had fun in the process.
Founded in 1964, Pathfinder Ranch was originally created to provide Coachella Valley children with an escape from the desert heat. Over the decades, it has grown into a year-round destination offering summer camps, outdoor education programs, and retreats, while remaining focused on its mission of connecting people with nature and one another.
“It is a key opportunity for kids to strike out on their own socially and be away from parents,” said Chris Fife, executive director of Pathfinder Ranch. “They’re still in a safe environment where they’re observed, supervised, and guided, but they’re learning a lot of soft skills. Camp provides a different environment than school for that kind of growth.”
That mission recently received a boost thanks to a $25,000 Impact Grant from the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation and News Channel 3.
The grant will fund camp scholarships for children from the Coachella Valley and help support horse care and equestrian programs at the ranch.
Fife said the funding comes at a critical time as camp operating costs continue to rise.
“It’s a huge help,” Fife said. “The camp, like everything else, is getting more expensive these days, and it’s harder for us to make those scholarship dollars stretch. With this grant, we’re going to be able to add another 29 full scholarships, and that’s 29 kids who probably wouldn’t be able to make it here.”
For Fargo, the grant means more children will have the opportunity to enjoy the same experiences she has had this summer.
“I’m really excited because kids also get to have fun like us this summer,” she said.
In addition to its summer sleepaway camp, Pathfinder Ranch operates outdoor education programs that serve students from across Southern California.
More information about Pathfinder Ranch can be found at pathfinderranch.com