Meet Cole, a kid from Salt Lake City who got in a bit of trouble and was given a decision by the juvenile courts in Utah to either do community service or enter Burton Snowboard’s Chill Foundation, he chose the latter and his life changed forever:
“I just kept getting in trouble, caught up with the law and it was just a bad bad scene for me. I was going through the juvenile courts, they told me I could either pick between community service or go through the Chill Program and learn how to snowboard and kinda redirect my energy on what I was focusing on to something positive that would help me in the long run.”
Cole life was changed by the community and sense of purpose he found on the mountain. He continues to progress in his third year of riding, now works as lifty and is an proud alum and an outspoken proponent of the Chill Foundation.
Check out his story, find more information about the Chill Foundation below, and if you’d like to get involved GO HERE:
Chill was founded in 1995 by Jake and Donna Carpenter, founders of Burton Snowboards.
Chill has served more than 30,000 young people since the program began, working with more than 2,000 youth annually. We partner with social service agencies, mental health agencies, foster care programs, juvenile justice programs, and schools in local communities to engage youth participants. All gear and services necessary to enjoy boardsports are provided to the youth at no cost.
Our programs recognize the inherent strength and potential present in each of our participants. Through boardsports, we teach new skills, build confidence, and inspire a lifelong love for boardsports.
What We Stand For
CHILL’S MISSION
Chill inspires young people through boardsports and builds a more equitable outdoor community.
CHILL’S VISION
Chill envisions a world where any young person can belong and thrive in the boardsports community and beyond.
Our Values
Our values focus our strategy and align our community. We will be honest. We will be equitable. We will progress. We will have as much fun as possible.
HONESTY
We seek to be honest with ourselves, our partners, our participants and our communities, unafraid to name what is inspirational and what is challenging.
EQUITY
“More where more is needed.” For Chill, this means more access, training, equipment, representation, invitation and inclusion in boardsports for whom more is needed.
PROGRESSION
Like the sports we love, we will prioritize progression, never settling or taking the easy way. We will be brave and agile on and off our boards.
FUN
In honor of our founders, we will always have as much fun as possible.
Changing lives since 1995
Since inception in 1995, Chill is proud to offer programs in 20 cities in 9 countries throughout the world. Participants range in age from 11-19 years old.
Positive Youth Development
The Chill program embodies the latest Positive Youth Development (PYD) best practices to ensure participating youth build resiliency through targeted lessons and challenging physical activities.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION
We need radical change to happen today, so that future generations of tomorrow can live in a world that values active anti-racism where everyone is treated equitably and with respect.
Chill commits to represent and work toward equity and inclusion for the youth and communities we serve. This focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), is a pillar of our mission, and something we take very seriously.
