Get outside and, please, take a child with you.

That, at its core, is the simple but potentially life-changing premise of The North Face’s Role Models program.

“Our goal with Role Models,” says Ann Krcik of The North Face, “is to empower all of those outdoor enthusiasts to share their passion and their knowledge to a new generation of explorers. Think about who taught you an appreciation for the outdoors, then pay it forward.”

The program was launched this summer and features an online pledge where people commit to taking someone outdoors. So far about 2,500 pledges have been received out of a first-year goal of 10,000. When this goal is achieved, The North Face will donate $10,000 to the Children and Nature Network, a group dedicated to fighting “nature-deficit disorder.”

The Role Models program features various TNF-sponsored athletes on a summer clinic tour, which concludes this weekend in New York City.

Pledge to be a role model at The North Face's Facebook page.