Partnership Highlight: Outdoor Outreach
photo courtesy of Outdoor Outreach
PARTNERSHIP HIGHLIGHT
Partnership Highlight: Outdoor Outreach
For most people, San Diego beckons with its stunning beaches and abundant opportunities to connect with nature. But for some young people who live in the city, the closest they’ve been to the ocean is looking at it on their computer screen.
Enter Outdoor Outreach. A San Diego nonprofit, Outdoor Outreach is a vital force for helping San Diego youth explore the world — and their own possibilities.
Since its founding in 1999, Outdoor Outreach has helped over 20,000 young people access the outdoors, most of whom are children of color and come from areas struggling with mass incarceration, wealth inequality, and a lack of access to safe green spaces.
The organization focuses on four key initiatives:
Positive youth development through enriching adventures outside
Workforce development through a paid training program
Environmental education to inspire a passion for conservation
Outdoor advocacy to overcome barriers to outdoor access through public policy
photo courtesy of Outdoor Outreach
Into the Woods
Outdoor Outreach helps children from San Diego’s park-deficient communities access the transportation and support to spend time in nature, from surfing in the Pacific to rock climbing in the wilderness and staying overnight in Joshua Tree National Park.
The biggest deterrent for many young people to spend time in nature? Getting there. 75% of Outdoor Outreach participants lacked transportation to outdoor spaces. 44% of participants didn’t know where to find green space near their homes. Outdoor Outreach helps bridge that gap, helping participants find a sense of purpose and discover the wonders of nature.
Students have the opportunity to gain vital leadership skills and become Outdoor Outreach instructors themselves, creating a ladder of growth, ownership, and enrichment. Over 50% of instructors were once participants. The experience can positively alter their trajectory, improving college applications, teaching life skills, and helping them learn how to create their own happiness.
photo courtesy of Outdoor Outreach
The Force of Nature
From the Japanese practice of forest bathing to morning walks before work, spending time in nature can have a transformative impact on our physical and mental wellbeing.
It can:
Improve children’s ability to concentrate
Boost academic performance
Nurture the imagination
Lead to lower rates of depression and stress
Reduce social and behavioral problems
Improve sleep quality
Reduce the risk of cancer and chronic diseases
But overall, Americans have become increasingly disconnected from nature. Outdoor participation swelled to 55% in 2022 after the pandemic, although time outside has started to dip. Before the pandemic, less than half of Americans were spending time outside.
This “nature deficit” is impacting children — a new study found that half of children spend less time outside than inmates at maximum security prisons. Worldwide, more than one-third of children spend less than 30 minutes outside every day.
At the same time, we’re facing a sharp rise in screen time and a surging epidemic of loneliness, with one out of every two people in the US reporting feeling lonely. The amount of time young people (ages 15 to 24) are spending with friends has decreased by almost 70% over the past twenty years with the rise of smartphones and social media. Too much time in front of screens can accelerate feelings of depression, and in young children, it can erode the ability to read facial skills and develop empathy.
Getting outside — and getting outside with others — is crucial for our wellbeing, our communities, and our relationship with the planet.
Our Involvement
BFF is proud to help support Outdoor Outreach and its initiatives.
Giving young people access to nature is vital for communities, our ecosystems, and our futures, and we strive to help people experience the healing experience of being outside.
Are you working on a project that helps nurture the natural world and our relationship with it? We’d love to learn about your efforts. Apply for a BFF grant today.
