GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Addie Donley is hoping to inspire local teenagers, one trip at a time.
She founded the nonprofit Beyond the City to help young people expand their horizons and experience the world beyond city limits.
"I always tell kids, like, go travel... if you can, go. You can always come back home but like see what's out there. It will change you," Donley told FOX 17 News. "It's just empowering Black and brown youth to travel. Just explore, that's it. It's super simple, but for some kids, it's hard to do. So we're trying to like remove that barrier."
The nonprofit began in 2023, thanks in part to a grant from The Black Legacy Foundation.
Donley said five trips are planned for 2023, including Chicago and Atlanta.
The first trip to Detroit is scheduled for the end of June.
The trips are open to teens ages 13-through-17, and Donley said priority is given to kids who have never traveled before.
Adult chaperones are present for each trip.
"If you live in a rough area, you only see rough areas and you never get to leave your area. You don't know that there's, like, actually other places you can go or an explore," Donley said. "It's kind of like even breaking the cycle of, like, I don't actually, I don't have to stay in this area when I grew up. I can actually work hard to get out of this area. I can actually go live in a different city, live in a different country."
Myrece Moore, a youth board member of Beyond the City, said travel is good for mental health.
"It like gives you that new experience...It's good to see new things and get your head out of what you're used to," Moore said.
Donley's daughter, Nkechinyere Okwwasi, is also a youth board member who agrees travel is important.
"I feel like if [you're] just stuck in one city, you won't be able to like experience a world and stuff, like, traveling is important for, like, personally, yourself and your development," she explained.
The deadline to apply is June 23.
Learn more by visiting the group's website or Facebook page.
Check out our list of community resources available to help in West Michigan.