MADISON, WIS. — Through the coordination of Team ESPN and Wonderful Outdoor World (WOW), sponsored by the the Walt Disney Company, 20 lucky children from the Salt Lake City, Utah, chapter of WOW traveled to Madison, Wisc., this past weekend to participate in a variety of educational activities at the 2004 ESPN Great Outdoor Games presented by Dodge.

	(From left) C.J. Ubani, Derk Moya and Trevor Bates take in the Women's Log Rolling competition.

"We work with the kids to give them new experiences associated with the outdoors, like ethical camping principals and ways to protect the environment," said Isaac Montaņa, a WOW counselor working with the kids during their three-day trip to Madison. But the program is much more than that. "This is proving to be one of the greatest experiences for these kids," said Kris McNamara, Director of Disney's Corporate Environmental Policy and Programs. "In addition to camping skills and environmental awareness, they learn social graces and etiquette, gain self-confidence and build self-esteem."

In fact, the learning began even before the group arrived in Madison - most of them had never been on an airplane before. "That was scary," said Alix, a 12-year-old girl from Salt Lake City. "But I'll be okay on the way home now that I know it's safe."

Once the group arrived at the Alliant Energy Center, the sprawling complex that served as the venue for this year's Great Outdoor Games, their education began in earnest. In one activity, the children "job-shadowed" ESPN staff working the Games. In the process, they got a first-person look at the work that goes on behind the scenes at a major sporting event and learned about some of the unique careers at ESPN. Alix was especially interested in this activity. "I really liked learning about how the people work here [at the Great Outdoor Games]," she said, "and I also learned a little about the state while I was here."

	George McNeilly, ESPN Outdoors Director of Communications, gives participants in Disney's Wonderful Outdoor World program a behind-the-scenes tour of the media center. (From left) Troy Bennett, Alix Schmidt, Deren Mauss and Faustino Moya.

The weekend's focus may have been on learning, but the group also did some educating of their own, serving as "Environmentality Ambassadors." At a WOW booth near the center of the venue, the kids shared recycling tips and led visitors through environmental activities. Jordan, a 10-year-old WOW participant, spoke to other children about how clouds are formed and why rain falls. "I like learning," he said, "and I really like helping other kids."

At night, the kids camped at Lake Farm Park, just a short distance from the ESPN Great Outdoor Games venue. On one day, the kids fished - some for the first time ever — and experienced the thrill of a ride in a Mercury-powered Triton boat. They also volunteered in a community service project to help mulch a threatened 100-year-old oak tree at Lake Farm Park that had recently been struck by lightning.

As the program wound down Sunday, Juliet Gilliam and Tavia Fisher, both with ESPN Corporate Outreach, were all smiles. "This is an extraordinary initiative," said Gilliam, "the exposure of this once-in-a-lifetime experience for these kids will broaden the horizons of their aspirations and dreams."