We are thrilled to announce that the Summit Scholarship Foundation and The Cairn Project have joined forces under a new name: Alliance for Gender Equity in Outdoor Adventure (GEA Alliance). This merger allows us to expand our reach, deepen our impact, and continue our mission of making outdoor adventure more inclusive for everyone.
Why This Merger?
By combining the strengths of both organizations, the GEA Alliance will:
- Provide more opportunities for women, girls, and gender-diverse adventurers to experience transformative outdoor programs.
- Expand our capacity to offer scholarships and support grassroots outdoor education through participatory fundraising and the generosity of our community.
- Continue to advocate for gender equity both in the outdoors and beyond.
Both the Summit Scholarship Foundation and The Cairn Project’s key programs will remain intact under the GEA Alliance. The Summit Scholarship will continue offering scholarships that provide life-changing access to outdoor adventures for women and gender-diverse individuals. Meanwhile, The Cairn Project’s Trailblazer Program, which empowers adventurers to raise funds through outdoor challenges, will remain a vibrant and central initiative. Each of these programs will carry forward their important work, now with the added strength of a unified organization focused on expanding opportunities and advancing gender equity in the outdoors.
About the Summit Scholarship Foundation
The Summit Scholarship Foundation has worked to provide financial support for women and gender-diverse individuals to access life-changing outdoor adventures, closing the gender gap in outdoor recreation.
About The Cairn Project
Since 2016, The Cairn Project has empowered adventurers to raise funds through its Trailblazer Program, turning personal outdoor challenges into a way to support grassroots outdoor education programs. The Trailblazer spirit lives on within the GEA Alliance, encouraging adventurers to connect their passion with a purpose.
Storytelling at the Heart of What We Do
At GEA Alliance, storytelling is central to our mission. We believe that the personal stories of our adventurers and participants showcase the power of outdoor adventure to foster growth, inspire change, and advance gender equity.
We are incredibly excited about this new chapter and look forward to continuing our journey together. Thank you for being a part of our community and supporting our mission to make outdoor adventure accessible to all.
Stay tuned for more updates and ways to get involved with the GEA Alliance!
Warmly,
Sunny Stroeer
Executive Director, GEA Alliance (Alliance for Gender Equity in Outdoor Adventure)

The Cairn Project
Mobilizing to empower young women in the outdoors through grantmaking.