MANCHESTER — The Young family is part way through this summer's Great Park Pursuit program, and this year Mitchell, 11, and Sofia, 9, will finally get their wish.

“My kids always wanted to camp,” said Sharon Young, and this year they will be able to do so in a brand new tent. They will be christening the tent at Moose Brook State Park in Gorham.

Young's enthusiasm for the outdoors won the Manchester family a tent from L.L. Bean in the company's Get Out(fitted) Gear Giveaway.

“We are serious outdoor people,” said Young, who said this is the third year the family has taken part in the New Hampshire Parks and Recreation Department program.

In the program, teams of at least one adult and one child under 18 participate in four group events and a series of self-guided “quests” over the summer. Participants get points for activities, photos required as proof of the independent programs, with prizes awarded at the end of the summer.

Young said she and her husband, Iain, have been bicycling with their children since “our kids could keep up with us,” she said. “The outdoors is an integral part of our family life.”

As she wrote in her winning L.L.Bean entry: “We have gotten involved in a summer state park program for families here in NH, and through that I realized that I would love the opportunity to explore and enjoy more of our state's parks as well as our national parks that are farther than a day's drive away.”

Young, who homeschools her children, said her family members feel closer together when they are outdoors than when they are at home.

Without the distractions of home, she said, the family is able to connect as a unit. She's even found that she doesn't take as many photos as she used to because it can interfere with enjoying the moment.

Young used to be a beach person, but since the family has been exploring the rest of New Hampshire, she's changed. “The mountains are just as beautiful,” she said.

Mitchell now says he wants to live in the mountains, said Young, but he also wants to go scuba diving. “You need to go somewhere warm for that,” she said.

Mitchell's interest in scuba diving has resulted in his checking out books from the adult section of the library so he can learn more about it. It's a way of integrating all kinds of learning, including subjects that aren't necessarily favorites, into an appealing format.

Young said she was impressed when she heard her son explaining that philosophy to someone else.

Mitchell's interest even won him a free scuba lesson after the 11-year-old wowed an instructor with his knowledge. “He's passionate about it,” she said.

Young is passionate about taking the family outdoors and she's excited about being able to take longer, overnight camping trips. She said when they went to Maine as part of their tent prize, they were also completely outfitted in clothing and were taught how to use their new equipment.

Now she's itching to set it up and use it.

dvincent@unionleader.com