Orienteering – the program’s original name before RECON – grew out of firsthand experience in Army ROTC and training with Rangers at Penn State University. Navigating land courses by day and night. Constructing rope bridges to cross roaring streams. Rappelling down vertical cliff faces. Being inserted on top of a mountain and having to triangulate off surrounding mountains to establish the exact location’s UTM coordinates and Latitude and Longitude. Determining coordinates to communicate to inbound helicopters for extraction. Improvising, adapting, and overcoming challenges to complete the mission developed a confidence that would extend far beyond the woods and mountains to all aspects of life. Years later, the realization that God had His hands in all of it from the beginning transformed that confidence into something far greater – grounded not in our own ability, but in God-given ability and what He could do through us. That journey shaped everything the program would become.

Orienteering was created in 2003 to give young people that same experience – to develop the same confidence, leadership, and discipline required to carry out a mission. Every leg of the course reinforces core academics – compass azimuths are applied geometry, pace counts are unit conversion, triangulation is trigonometry, and topographic map reading integrates science and geography – all taught through an experience no classroom can replicate. At Ohiopyle State Park, youth face conditions that push them well outside their comfort zone – and by the end of two days and roughly 15 miles of mountains, water, and terrain, they’ve led a team, pushed themselves to their physical limits, and discovered that they can accomplish more than they ever could have imagined.

The lasting effect for most is deep-rooted. The skills built here – land navigation, physical endurance, team leadership under pressure, and aerial operations awareness – directly prepare students for career paths in military service, search and rescue, wilderness medicine, aviation, emergency management, and conservation. What they carry with them isn’t a grade – it’s the memory of standing on a cliff edge, trusting their equipment, and stepping off. And woven through every lesson is a deeper question: What’s your azimuth? In the field, that direction keeps you on course. In life, it points to something greater. Christ is our true North – and when we stray from the path, we check our azimuth and find our way back.

RECON serves students from school districts across western Pennsylvania, with participation extending into eastern Ohio. Our program is offered on weekends – outside regular school hours – and uses specialized instructors and training not available in traditional school settings.

The RECON Foundation, a 501(c)(3) entity, was formed in December 2025 to sustain the program and build partnerships with schools across western Pennsylvania. The program has grown over 400% since that first year, and with continuing growth, institutional support is essential so every young person can participate without concern for finances, subject to available program funds. The base program costs approximately $500 per participant (based on 2025 costs and expected to increase), covering all instruction, equipment, camping, food, and two days of whitewater rafting. Participating families are invited to contribute what they can, and the remainder is subsidized by generous supporters who believe in what this program builds in young people.