In an exciting development, the Klamath Outdoor Science School (KOSS) is joining forces with Girl Scouts of Oregon and SW Washington (GSOSW), Service Unit 65 out of Klamath Falls — to offer enhanced learning opportunities for the youth in Klamath County.

Introduction to the Collaboration

KOSS and GSOSW Service Unit 65 have embarked on a novel initiative to provide hands-on, experiential summer camp experiences for girls in the community.

This collaboration will lead to the development of the Klamath Basin Youth Leadership Camp — a pioneering program designed to empower and inspire young girls.

About KOSS

KOSS, founded in 2004, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to fostering a love for the outdoors among children.

With a camp facility nestled in the scenic Sky Lakes Wilderness area, KOSS has been delivering immersive outdoor science programming to Klamath County youth for over two decades. Programs include:

  • Outdoor science school — multi-day immersive STEM experiences
  • Summer camp programming with environmental and leadership focus
  • Youth Leaders program — building the next generation of camp counselors and outdoor educators
  • Family programs connecting parents and kids to outdoor learning

KOSS serves over 1,500 children annually — a number that's been growing year over year as the program's reputation has expanded.

About Girl Scouts Service Unit 65

Girl Scouts of Oregon and SW Washington, Service Unit 65 is the Klamath Falls-area umbrella for local Girl Scout troops.

Girl Scouts has been empowering young women for over a century with programming focused on:

  • Outdoor skills and adventure
  • STEM exposure
  • Entrepreneurship (yes — the cookies are a real business education)
  • Leadership development
  • Community service

For Klamath County girls, Service Unit 65 is the local infrastructure connecting them to that national programming.

Why the Partnership Matters

KOSS brings the outdoor-science expertise and facility.

Girl Scouts brings the youth-leadership framework and a network of girls already engaged.

Together, they can create programming neither could deliver alone — a multi-day immersive camp experience combining outdoor science, leadership development, and the kind of sustained girls-only environment that produces lasting confidence and capability.

What the Klamath Basin Youth Leadership Camp Will Offer

The camp is being designed around several core experiences:

  • Outdoor exploration and environmental science — hands-on, field-based learning
  • Leadership skill-building — public speaking, group facilitation, conflict resolution
  • Confidence and identity work — programming specifically designed to build the kind of self-belief that protects young women through adolescence
  • Service projects — meaningful community impact baked into the camp experience
  • Adventure activities — hiking, climbing, water activities depending on age group
  • Connection and mentorship — with older counselors, with KOSS and Girl Scouts adult leaders, and with peers

A Model Worth Watching

What KOSS and Service Unit 65 are building isn't just a summer camp. It's a model for how community organizations can combine forces to deliver programming that's bigger and better than either could do alone.

For Klamath County — where every nonprofit is working hard with limited resources — that collaborative model is the future. The more KOSS, the Y, Girl Scouts, Klamath Music, KCDDS, the Ragland, and the basin's other youth-serving organizations can find ways to partner instead of compete for the same kids' time, the better off all of those kids are.

How to Get Involved

  • Donate to KOSS — klamathoutdoorscienceschool.org
  • Volunteer with Girl Scouts — Service Unit 65 is always looking for adult leaders, troop assistants, and event volunteers
  • Enroll your daughter — registration for camp programming opens each spring

If you're a Klamath County family raising a young woman — this is exactly the kind of programming that pays dividends for decades.

Don't let it pass by.