A Grandmother’s Trust, A Young Man’s Transformation

When Candace Keith first heard about Back to Earth, it was through her grandson’s godfather, Steve Snider. He spoke about a program that brought young men into the mountains - not just to hike, but to grow, to listen, to remember what it means to be human.

As a grandmother raising her teenage grandson, Candace was intrigued. She’d been searching for something meaningful for Kaelon. She knew he needed good men to look up to, and a sense of purpose. 

“It was an answer to my prayer. His parents aren’t in his life, and he needed that male mentorship. He needed someone to see him, to help him know his own strength.”

Grounded and Grateful - The Gift of Silence

Kaelon was first introduced to Back to Earth in 2023. Like many teens, he wasn’t sure what to expect.  But, after 10 days in the wild, 

“He came home different,” Candace recalled. “More grounded, more grateful. He hugged me with tears in his eyes and said, ‘Thank you.’ Something in him had shifted. He was more aware of himself-and of the love around him.”

He told his grandmother about his solo night in the wild-sleeping alone under the stars, hearing the water nearby, and watching as a deer walked right up to the stream for a drink. “He was so proud,” she said. “He was brave, and he knew it. He learned to be comfortable in his own company.”

Candace laughed. “I love watching Naked and Afraid, but I know most people never experience that kind of solitude. He got it and he understood the gift of that silence.”

The Power of Council - Strength and Sensitivity

One of the most transformative parts of Back to Earth’s programs is Council - a practice of sitting in a circle around the fire. It’s where boys learn to speak truthfully and listen deeply, often for the first time.

For Kaelon, Council became a refuge - a place to express himself openly, to be vulnerable, and to see that strength and sensitivity can exist side by side.

He learned that leadership isn’t about being the loudest, fastest, or most popular. On two different trips, Kaelon noticed another participant struggling with an injury. Without hesitation, he ran back down the mountain, took their heavy pack, and encouraged his injured friend along the trail.

“That’s leadership,” Eli said. “It’s seeing the need and meeting it. It’s an unselfish quality of being. It’s the courage to care.”

This is the essence of Back to Earth’s work: helping young people build the inner muscle to face difficulty, rather than avoid it-to prepare for struggle not as something to fear, but as something that makes us human.  And to recognize, trust, and lean into interconnection.

As Eli often reminds the guides and youth alike, “Life is hard. If you avoid the hard things, you avoid life.”

The Ripple of the Back to Earth Community

For Candace, seeing her grandson become part of the Back to Earth community has been profoundly moving.

“It’s a heartfelt pursuit,” she said. “You can tell they’re not doing this for money. They’re doing it with love, with purpose. It’s like dropping a pebble in the pond-the impact ripples outward.”

That ripple effect has reached her whole family. She’s noticed Kaelon becoming more independent, more mature, more self-aware. “He used to just take off and we’d have to ask if anyone had seen him,” she said, laughing. “Now he’s intentional. He plans. He knows where he’s going and how to get there.”

He’s also become more creative-taking photos of the sunrise, writing reflections, expressing gratitude for his family and his life.

“I think that awareness came from Back to Earth,” Candace said. “The sky, the stillness, the way he talks about it-it’s changed him.”

Being Grateful Changes Everything

Candace knows something about growth and perseverance. At 65, she’s raised children for over three decades and is now raising her seven-year-old grandson, Kaelon's little brother. She’s traveled the world, worked as a customer service instructor for the airlines, and believes deeply in the power of opportunity and love.

Her home is full of laughter, curiosity, and a sense of openness that mirrors the spirit of Back to Earth.

“I try to keep myself healthy, strong, and youthful in my heart,” she said. “That’s how I stay able to give love and enjoy life. It’s not always easy, but it’s worth it.”

Seeing Kaelon return from the wilderness with gratitude and clarity gave her hope-not just for him, but for what’s possible for all young people.

“He came back with a light,” she said. “He was more thankful, more aware of the love around him. It took away the selfishness. He learned that being grateful changes everything.”

A Community of Trust, Safety, and Belonging

For many of the young men in Back to Earth’s programs, the wilderness becomes a classroom for life: how to listen, how to endure, how to belong. But what makes it truly transformative is the community-the guides, mentors, and peers who show up fully and listen without judgment.

“For kids to know they have this space, that they have peers and mentors who care-it’s everything,” Candace said. “Back to Earth gives them that. It’s a safe space where they can just be.”

She’s seen how that community doesn’t end when the trip is over. It continues through check-ins, mentorship, and friendships that last far beyond the trail.

“It’s like a family,” she said. “They build trust, safety, and love.”

A Model for the Nation

When asked what she hopes for Back to Earth’s future, Candace doesn’t hesitate.

“This should be a nationwide thing,” she said. “Every youth deserves this. Especially kids who don’t have a parent, or who come from different backgrounds. This is a soulful retreat, and it’s life-changing.”

She dreams of seeing family trips one day, where young people like Kaelon can guide their own families-teaching the skills, the safety, and the presence they’ve learned in the mountains.

She laughs softly. “I’m not sure about the overnight part-but I’d go!”

The Bridge Between Boyhood and Becoming

Now, Kaelon stands on the threshold of young adulthood-considering paths in emergency medicine, photography, and outdoor leadership. He’s part of Back to Earth’s WILD Scholars program, and he’s beginning to give back what he’s received: mentorship, steadiness, and care.

This, Eli says, is the full circle. “We want to support men at this juncture-when they’re graduating, stepping into adulthood. This is when mentorship matters most. When you’re asking the big questions: What’s next? What do I want to give back? Where do I feel most alive?”

In a time when young people are more connected digitally than ever-but often lonelier than ever-programs like Back to Earth are essential. They offer what so many are longing for: connection that’s real, challenge that’s meaningful, and a community that listens.

“We live in a world of hyper-stimulation,” Eli says. “The noise is constant. But when we step into nature, we find what’s real again. We find our heart.”

Candace agrees.

“It’s a pause,” she said. “A reset. A reminder of who we are and what really matters. You can’t put a price on that.”

Considering Back to Earth?

“Go for it,” Candace says to any parent considering Back to Earth. “It will change your child. It will change your family. It will change you.”

#GiveBackToEarth

This winter, Back to Earth is raising $60,000 to ensure that every teen who feels called to this work can say yes to the journey.

Your support helps young people step into the wilderness, discover who they are, and bring that light back home.