Founded in 2020, Trailblazing Hope Outdoors is a local nonprofit dedicated to helping youth in the Miami Valley rediscover the outdoors for mental, emotional, and physical growth. Through recreation, education, and conservation, participants learn outdoor skills, Leave No Trace principles, and experience the thrill of adventure. Strategic partnerships with parks, schools, and local organizations allow TBHO to provide no-cost programming, ensuring every young person has access to the challenge, beauty, and healing of nature. Join Lead Adventurer Jonathan Slider to hear about the successes, lessons learned, and plans for bringing TBHO back to youth in the Miami Valley.
Bio
Jonathan Slider is the founder of Trailblazing Hope Outdoors, which is currently in a temporary hiatus as he develops the next phase of outdoor education and recreation opportunities for youth in the Miami Valley. His passion for working with young people began more than twenty years ago when he was sixteen, and it continues today both through his outdoor work and as a running coach at his local high school. His love for wild places came alive on his first backpacking trip in June 2013, sparking a vision for creating meaningful, nature-based experiences that help others grow.
Jonathan’s own path has been as varied as any backcountry trail. He has served as a US Navy Sailor, a pastor, and an outdoor professional, and he now works as a program manager for the United States Air Force. He is certified as a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) and Leave No Trace Trainer, and holds a masters degree in Sport Management with a concentration in Outdoor Adventure Sports.
Looking ahead, Jonathan envisions pursuing new personal outdoor adventures and continuing to create opportunities for youth to experience the same sense of challenge, discovery, and connection that shaped his own journey. He lives in Beavercreek and is the proud father of Abigail, Nathan, and Ella.