Connecting NYC youth to the outdoors through snowboarding and community.
Hoods to Woods began with a simple belief: young people from New York City deserve access to the same outdoor experiences that have shaped so many lives.
What started as grassroots trips to local mountains grew from Brian Paupaw and Omar Diaz's own experience discovering snowboarding and realizing how transformative it could be. For them, it was never just a sport. It was a doorway into confidence, patience, discipline, and community.
Since then, Hoods to Woods has grown into a youth-centered organization serving more than 400 young people through winter snowboard trips, indoor practice, outdoor education, and year-round community experiences.
Founded in 2009 · Incorporated in 2019
The people who believed outdoor access could change lives and built an organization to prove it.
Brian grew up in Brooklyn, where access to nature was never assumed. It was something you had to seek out.
When he discovered snowboarding in his twenties, it became more than a sport. It opened the door to a world he had never been invited into, and that experience stayed with him.
In 2009, Brian helped launch what would become Hoods to Woods so young people from neighborhoods like his could have access to that same doorway. Today, he leads the organization's vision, partnerships, and growth while still showing up on mountain trips alongside the youth HTW serves.
"I know what it means to grow up without easy access to the outdoors. Hoods to Woods exists so our youth can see that those spaces belong to them too."
— Brian
Omar’s path to the outdoors began through mentorship and youth development work in New York City.
Over the years, he saw how transformative new experiences can be, especially for young people who have rarely been given access to spaces beyond their daily environment. When he partnered with Brian, their shared belief became Hoods to Woods.
As Program Director, Omar helps shape every part of the participant experience, from first-time snowboard lessons to multi-day outdoor trips. His approach is simple: meet young people where they are, then help take them somewhere they never imagined they could go.
"When you share what changed your life with young people who need it, that becomes purpose."
— OmarHoods to Woods creates access to snowboarding and outdoor experiences for NYC youth through free programs that build confidence, community, and connection beyond the city.
A future where every young person, regardless of background, feels they belong in the outdoors and has the opportunity to grow through transformative experiences in nature.
We remove barriers so young people can experience places and opportunities that have too often felt out of reach.
We build belonging through mentorship, shared experiences, and relationships that last beyond a single trip.
We believe challenge, exposure, and new environments help young people build confidence that carries into every part of life.
