Refrain Joseph Shares His Outdoor Outreach StoryRefrain was first introduced to Outdoor Outreach through his friends in high school. Refrain shared with us that Outdoor Outreach “is a place that always brightens my day.”Says Refrain, “I remember once an instructor called me positive. At the time I didn’t really think of myself as such, but […]
Meli’s journey from free floating polyp to blooming sea anemoneMeli found Outdoor Outreach in 2017 and went on a snorkeling trip. Little did she know that this trip would introduce her to passion, marine biology. But, Meli’s journey of success was not easy and full of hardships. In telling us her story, she mentions how […]
We sat down with Outdoor Outreach founder Chris Rutgers to talk about his founding principles, his vision for the organization, and one very important aha moment. Chris founded Outdoor Outreach in 1999, and the vision that he catalyzed is just as present in our work today as it was 20 years ago. Our 20th Anniversary […]
Outdoor Outreach will Partner with Rady Children’s Hospital in Support of Local Youth Experiencing Mental Health Challenges The unique, collaborative effort will offer teens a program centered on nature-based experiences designed to help them overcome their challenges outside of the traditional therapy setting. Outdoor Outreach, a nonprofit dedicated to serving disadvantaged youth through transformative year-round, trauma-informed […]
Michell was born in Tijuana. When she was young, she was afraid to tell people where she came from. “Kids from my middle school would bully me and make fun of my accent, my family, and my culture. I had to deal with hurtful stereotypes and the language barrier separated me from my classmates and […]
We know that the outdoors isn’t always the most level playing field. From childhood on, boys are often encouraged to be brave and adventurous, while too many girls grow up being told to be quiet, to be careful. Indeed, a report by the Girl Scout Research Institute shows preschool-age girls are 16% less likely to […]
Outdoor Outreach was recently awarded the Leave No Trace Youth Program Accreditation from the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics (LNT), a national organization that protects the outdoors by teaching and inspiring people to enjoy it responsibly. The Leave No Trace Youth Program Accreditation engages youth-serving programs with the essential standards and assessment resources that […]
Is your company looking for ways to give back to the community where you work?Our corporate sponsorship activities are the perfect opportunity to get more connected to community organizations and to learn more about nonprofit organizations like Outdoor Outreach. Our volunteering opportunities connect corporate volunteers with Outdoor Outreach youth, instructors and staff in a mutually […]
Backpacking 101How to backpack like a (Leadership Program graduate) proInterested in setting off on a multi-day backpacking trip, but just aren’t sure where to start? The thirteen young adults who joined the Outdoor Outreach Leadership Program this summer were recently in your shoes. Having never done more than a day hike, these teens had 8 […]
The San Diego Foundation Connects, Protects and Increases Access to Nature with $558,000 in GrantsJuly 11, 2018 – San Diego, CA – The San Diego Foundation announced $558,000 in grants for 12 programs that will connect, protect and increase access to nature, especially for San Diegans in underserved and park-poor communities.The 2018 Opening the Outdoors […]
