Over the impact period july 1, 2023 - june 30, 2024, outdoor outreach will provide 200 programs in local refuges and adjacent areas for 1,200 individual youth

The U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 8 awarded a $150,000 Cooperative Agreement to Outdoor Outreach, a San Diego-based nonprofit organization, under the National Wildlife Refuge System Enhancements program (CFDA 15.654). Over the 1-year impact period from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024, Outdoor Outreach will provide 200 recreational learning programs for 1,200 urban youth in local wildlife refuges and adjacent areas. These programs, which include activities like kayaking, mountain biking, surfing, and hiking, aim to foster connections between participants and nearby open spaces to inspire them to value, respect, and protect natural resources. The funding will also support Outdoor Outreach's youth leadership program, providing paid opportunities for young adults to earn income, build outdoor skills, and explore conservation career pathways.

Through recreational learning activities like kayaking, mountain biking, surfing, hiking, and stewardship, outdoor outreach will create an environment in which participants feel safe and welcome, both in the outdoors and specifically in wildlife refuges. By forging an authentic connection between urban youth and close-to-home open space areas, outdoor outreach can provide stepping stones of engagement that inspire youth participants to value, respect, and protect the places where they play.