A look into this year’s NAAEE Conference! (North American Association for Environmental Education.)

Outdoor FUTURE joins forces with other passionate folks from all corners of the country to host the Youth Outdoor Engagement: Policy Trends & Opportunities session.

Together they amplified and explored the future of youth outdoor engagement and the policies that can make it more accessible for all.

Join Outdoor FUTURE  Initiative members to learn how YOU can join our movement to create more outdoor opportunities for youth!

Join us in celebrating Disability Pride month as we discuss the meaning of disability with Vasu Sojitra, as he walks us through what disability justice looks like, why it is so important to celebrate it, and more.

In May of 2024, Gabaccia Moreno and Laura Flores went to Puerto Rico on a GreenLatinos scholarship to present at the GreenLatinos National Summit on behalf of Outdoor FUTURE. Read more about the experiences we had with our environmental allies!

Western states are known for breathtaking landscapes and world-class recreational opportunities; however, there is a proven unequal distribution of access to these outdoor experiences. The report’s efforts were best-spent understanding program opportunities' existing frameworks and realities. This analysis resulted in a top- down understanding of state-level recreation and education programs and grant availability.

GRIST - Gabe Vasquez first visited New Mexico when he was 8 years old, during a fishing trip to the Rio Grande with his father and older brother. They traveled from their home just south of the border in Ciudad Juárez and planned to camp in state parks along the river. Even now, Vasquez recalls the air of excitement in the car as he and his brother fought over who would get the Superman fishing rod and who would get Spiderman, both purchased for the occasion. (He wound up with Supe.) They had tossed their lines into the water once or twice when a game warden arrived and asked to see their fishing licenses. They didn’t know they needed such a thing, a point the elder Vasquez could not convey because he didn’t speak English and the officer did not speak Spanish.

SANTA FE NEW MEXICAN - In the spring of 2019, visionary organizers and community leaders from New Mexico joined forces to create the New Mexico Outdoor Equity Fund, the first-of-its-kind grant program that breaks down the barriers standing between disadvantaged youth and the great outdoors. Today, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich is taking this initiative to the national level by introducing legislation to create the Outdoor F.U.T.U.R.E. program.