At ROOTed Ranch, our programs create spaces for growth, joy, and reconnection to land and legacy. We believe in meeting people where they are, expanding horizons, and planting seeds for the future.

Four Thirteens mentoring

We believe that all youth (especially those from under-resourced backgrounds) deserve a positive environment where they can learn, grow, and thrive. Since 2016, we’ve been creating warm, welcoming spaces where young people build confidence, explore possibilities, and imagine new futures.

But it’s about more than school. Representation and exposure matter. That’s why we take youth on enriching journeys across Michigan:

  • Walking through the halls of Motown Records

  • Camping beneath Northern Michigan stars

  • Visiting zoos, museums, and the shores of Lake Michigan

  • Touring colleges, trade schools, and meeting professionals who open doors to future opportunities

We’ve rented theaters for films like Black Panther, hosted pottery and painting classes, and created experiences that show what’s possible. Because when youth see themselves reflected in the world, they begin to believe in their own brilliance.

✨ You can’t be what you can’t see. ✨

Our mission is simple: through positive relationships with caring adults, Four ThirTEENS helps students strengthen academic skills, build self-esteem, and develop social confidence while staying away from high-risk behaviors.

Pilgrimage to Idlewild

A journey of historical reclamation, radical rest, and community empowerment.

This August 15th, we are bringing 60 residents from Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Detroit for a deeply intentional community pilgrimage to our grounds in Idlewild for free.

The Experience

We are designing a transformative experience for 60 participants that moves far beyond a simple weekend getaway. Our pilgrimage is built on three core pillars:

  • Reclaiming "Black Eden": This activation is a deliberate effort to reclaim the land and legacy of historic Idlewild before it can be gentrified or stolen. We recognize that knowing and occupying this history is a tangible form of power and community defense.

  • Tangible Skill-Building: We facilitate hands-on workshops in sustainable practices, such as urban foraging, ensuring participants return home with practical tools for resilience and autonomy.

  • Radical Rest: We provide a non-hierarchical sanctuary where marginalized individuals can simply rest, decompress, and exist without having to explain or shrink themselves.

Interested? Contact Us!
“ROOTed Ranch is where our roots break chains, our joy runs wild, and our future rises untamed. a sanctuary built for us, by us, where rest is resistance and belonging is nonnegotiable.”
— Zahna Woodson

Katie’s Kidz – Our Inaugural Overnight Camp

(Launching Summer 2027)

Katie’s Kidz is the first camp at ROOTed Ranch, named for our matriarch Katie Mae, whose journey to Michigan during the Great Migration shaped our family’s roots here.

Katie Mae brought 9 of her 13 siblings north, had and adopted a total of 10 children, and opened her home to foster over 30 children. Her example of care, resilience, and leadership continues to guide us today.

This camp carries her name forward by centering joy, leadership, and connection to the land for young kids.

What Katie’s Kidz Offers:

  • A chance for the kids to simply exhale - surrounded by care, nature, and community.

  • Honoring the voices of young kids through sharing, listening, and weaving their stories into a collective legacy.

  • Experiences that help the kids step into their own power and practice leading with confidence.

  • Hands-on learning like gardening, fire tending, and nature craft that reconnects us with practices our ancestors carried.