June 8, 2022 – San Diego, CA
For Immediate Release
Outdoor Outreach Granted Over $1.3 Million to Advance Outdoor Programs in City Heights and El Cajon
The California Department of Parks and Recreation awarded Outdoor Outreach two grants totaling $1,351,340 to operate nearly 600 adventure-based youth development programs in the neighborhood of City Heights and city of El Cajon, connecting more than 8,000 youth participants to the transformative power of the outdoors.
The City Height Adventure Club Program was awarded $674,566 and the El Cajon Valley Outdoor Adventure Program was awarded $676,744. The grant funding will be utilized over a four year period of program activities.
Since 1999, more than 17,000 youth have had the opportunity to hike, bike, kayak, climb, and more with Outdoor Outreach, sharing new experiences, developing their strengths, and building a support system of peers and mentors who believe in them and who show them that they matter.
Outdoor Outreach will use the grant funding for the following activities supporting youth ages 9-24 who live in the communities of City Heights and El Cajon:
- 572 adventure-based program outings for 8,100 youth participants over the four-year grant period
- Weekend, summer, and after school outings at Border Field State Park, Cabrillo National Monument, Cardiff State Beach, Coronado Tidelands Park, Imperial Beach, Mission Trails Regional Park, Penasquitos Canyon Preserve, San Diego National Wildlife Refuge, Silver Strand State Beach Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, and Torrey Pines State Reserve.
- Overnight camping and adventure activities at Cleveland National Forest – Mt. Laguna, Joshua Tree National Park, Lake Moreno County Park, San Clemente State Beach, and YMCA Camp Surf.
- Multi-day backpacking expeditions at Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, Inyo National Forest, Mammoth Lakes, and Mt. San Jacinto State Park.
- Multi-day snowboarding mountain excursions at Snow Valley Mountain.
“The Outdoor Equity Program is an incredible testament to the state’s growing commitment to outdoor access and education as a critical resource for mental and physical health,” says Executive Director Ben McCue. “This award will help us to deepen our impact among youth and families in City Heights and El Cajon, positively impacting more than 8,000 young people in the way that we do it best: hitting the trail, gliding through the water, and climbing the rock wall, and always surrounded by people who care.”
California State Parks reviewed 384 grant applications totaling $167.78 million in requests. Only 125 applications were awarded portions of the $57 million in grants made available through general funds approved by the California Legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 state budgets. The high number of grant applications is a testament to the ongoing need for more funding sources to support outdoor equity and recreation programs across the state.
The new Outdoor Equity Program is a component of the “Outdoors Access for All” initiative which aims to expand equitable outdoor access to all Californians. Four of every 10 Californians have no access to open space within walking distance of their home and six of every 10 Californians live in park-poor neighborhoods.
The initiative’s focus areas are investments in open space infrastructure, outdoor programming, and improvements to permit applications with priority to expanding access in underrepresented communities.
The first round of Outdoor Equity Program grant applications was open to all public agencies (local, state, and federal government, school districts and educational agencies, joint powers authorities, open-space authorities, regional open-space districts), and non-profit organizations with 501(c)(3) status.
To view the full list of Outdoor Equity Program grant recipients visit www.parks.ca.gov/oep.
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Outdoor Outreach connects youth to the transformative power of the outdoors as a space to explore their world, cultivate belonging, and discover what they’re capable of. For more information about Outdoor Outreach, visit www.outdooroutreach.org.
For more information about the California Parks and Recreation Department, visit www.parks.ca.gov.