Jason Hirsch signs on as new Educational Programs Manager for the Golden Gate Council

Posted by admin on Aug 31, 2009

HI-USA Golden Gate Council is pleased to welcome Jason Hirsch — or Jay, for short — as the Council’s new Educational Programs Manager.

Jay comes to the Golden Gate Council after a five-year tenure at the Chill Foundation, an international nonprofit that provides unique and positive experiences to underserved youth through snowboarding. There, he served as the General Manager out of the organization’s office in Burlington, Vermont.

It was a combination of his dedication to working with underserved communities and his love of travel that led him "out West" to the Golden Gate Council’s Hostel Adventure program. "Traveling and hostelling have been a huge part of my life," Hirsh says, "I’m lucky to be working somewhere where I’m passionate about the mission."

A seasoned traveler, Denver-born Jay has stayed in hostels from Auckland, New Zealand, to St. Louis, Missouri. "Hostelling is great! It’s been the best world education I could have received," says Jay. "I’ve learned more about the world through staying at hostels than I could have sitting in any classroom."

He has also traveled in Mexico, and once made an eight-day cross-country road trip that included stops in nine National Parks. He hopes next to visit the Galapagos Islands, excited by the rich natural environment and the eco-tourism and "voluntourism" options available.

Along with his experience, Jay brings much enthusiasm to his position. In his first year, he aims to strengthen the partnership between the Council’s educational programming and its hostels, where the programs take place. He also hopes to raise funds for the program, and create internal systems that will allow for greater growth of the department. "But first and foremost, I want to realize our mission to affect the lives of youth through hostelling," Jay emphasizes.

Of the four programs offered through Hostel Adventures, Jay is especially excited about Cultural Kitchen. "It’s not just because I cook, but because we can learn so much about different cultures through food." He reminisces about a time in Mexico he planned to make American-style barbecued chicken for a friend, and realized he had to not only pluck and quarter the chicken himself, but also construct his own barbecue out of a piece of fence and a pit fire.

In his spare time, Hirsh is an avid outdoorsman, enjoying community events, snowboarding, and running. He has completed the Chicago Marathon twice, as well as a few half-marathons, and is currently training to climb Washington’s Mount Rainier as part of Bay Area Wilderness Training’s "Climbing for Kids" program.