Case Study: Working Toward Equity and Inclusion When Connecting Youth to the Outdoors

Youth Outside supports outdoor and environmental programs and organizations in northern and central California to be more responsive to these challenges. Youth Outside helps these groups identify and address barriers to equitable participation in their own organizations. In particular, the organization offers consulting, coaching, and training that addresses the systemic and cultural barriers to inclusion. Logistical issues like making gear and transportation available, and reducing program costs are generally more readily recognized and easier to mitigate than barriers connected to culture, institutions, and power dynamics that are deeply embedded in our society. Youth Outside supports organizations in the outdoor and environmental education field to understand inequitable participation patterns within this broader social context, and provides tools and training that help them respond effectively.

In 2016, Youth Outside collaborated with the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the Morgan Family Foundation to offer the Cultural Relevancy Series, a 7-month program designed to build their grantees’ capacity in cultural relevancy, equity, and inclusion. The present case study describes this experience, summarizes lessons learned by both Youth Outside and the program participants, and explores the potential of the model to support others in the field, in addition to a broader application in other sectorsIn 2016, Youth Outside collaborated with the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the Morgan Family Foundation to offer the Cultural Relevancy Series, a 7-month program designed to build their grantees’ capacity in cultural relevancy, equity, and inclusion.

Read the case study here. What can you take away from it?