“Outsiders” at the San Francisco Outdoor Nation Summit 2012
Photo Credit: Outdoor Nation

At the San Francisco summit, Patricia Tillmann, an Emerging Leader working as a Research Associate at NWF in the Seattle office described the training as “youth engagement done right”. Patricia had this to say about what went well for her:
“For me, the North Face Ambassadors were really inspiring. We had a campfire in the evening and the Ambassadors humbly shared their stories. Most of them came from at-risk backgrounds and shared exceptionally powerful stories about the role of nature in turning their lives around. I felt very emotional during their stories and reconnected to the positive power of nature in all our lives. “

Patricia’s group devised a project idea that will be funded by Outdoor Nations. Her project mission is to inspire a lifetime in the outdoors and bridge the gap between interest and action – one video at a time. They will accomplish this by increasing youth access to the outdoors by creating and showing a video of their favorite outdoor activities to high school students (at least 1,750 students in the first year). They will also create pamphlets with information on gear rental, training, and excursions, emphasizing free and low-cost options in their area.

Photo Credit: Outdoor Nation

“The weekend focused on devising a plan for encouraging outdoor activities and the attendees represented a very diverse mix of public and private groups who all helped with the envisioning process. More importantly, the event was very helpful to my diverse group of students from three colleges; it encouraged collaboration and introduced them to the larger movements beyond their campuses.”

Overall, the ELC Outdoor Nation participants enjoyed their weekend with fellow outsiders. Many of them are already considering bringing a new delegation of outdoor enthusiast to a summit next year!

We caught up with Chris Fanning of the Outdoor Foundation for some highlights:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The National Wildlife Federation had a delegation participate in the Atlanta Summit.  Check out this guest blog from Dejia Freeman, a graduate of the National Wildlife Federation’s Atlanta Earth Tomorrow Program and current program assistant for Earth Tomorrow.

And don’t forget to visit http://www.outdoornation.org/ for regular updates and great content all year long!

Until a couple of weekends ago, I had never seen so many dedicated, multi-faceted, and inspirational people in one room in my life! The energy for the whole weekend at Clark Atlanta University for the first-ever Outdoor Nation Southeast Regional Summit in Atlanta was electric, and it remained at an amazing high for the entire event!

Outdoor Nation was founded by a group of “Outsiders” who have a passion for the outdoors that they use to fuel and inspire others, especially youth and young adults between the ages of 18-26, to care about and engage with America’s “Great Outdoors.” This summer they have been hosting summits all across America, awarding grant funds to youth to implement awesome outdoor projects, leading outdoor fun days for youth attending the summits, and working to connect with youth in an effort to create a new “outdoor culture” that is fun, meaningful, and impactful for all despite geographic location, race and ethnicity, or socio-economic status.

Photo by Jessica Rios

These Outdoor Nation Summits are being hosted by the Outdoor Foundation, in partnership with The North Face, the Conservation Fund, the REI Foundation and tons of other groups interested in getting youth outside. The way this group sees it, the world would be a better place if everyone spent less time inside and more time outdoors. One community at a time, they are inspiring a revolution to make that happen.

I attended the Outdoor Nation with a group of fellow graduates from the National Wildlife Federation’s Atlanta Earth Tomorrow Program. From the beginning of this three-day experience, we were all committed to finding solutions to help get more youth outside. We all had different experiences, customs, and backgrounds, but wanting to find a solution to this nationwide epidemic gave us common ground, and kept us engaged and hopeful that we can make a difference. A large portion of our dialogue was focused on overcoming barriers to getting people of color more involved in the outdoors as well as past experiences and success stories about our involvement in conservation and environmental groups. Later that night we were introduced to the New Wilderness Project, an awesome performance that used poetry and music to share experiences about the great outdoors.

A key part of the summit was the Summer Fun Day held at Sweetwater Creek State Park, which is 20 minutes outside of the city of Atlanta. There we participated in rock climbing, kayaking, paddle boating, hiking, swimming, pitching a tent, and a sleeping bag “stuffing” contest.  Our “fun in the sun” proved to be a great motivation to identify ways to ensure that all youth can experience fun days at their state parks and other local outdoor spaces all year round.

Photo by Melissa Vega

We topped off our day with a good old fashioned hay ride to a nearby campfire where we listened to some of Outdoor Nation’s sponsors from The North Face who shared their amazing journeys in the outdoors which included trips to Belize and climbing Mount Everest. With each outdoor experience shared, the speakers told us how those experiences inspired them to get involved with conservation and advocacy efforts to protect our environment. Their stories resonated with each of us and showed us that there is not one path or experience that can lead you to an appreciation for the outdoors and nature; the journey is as diverse and multi-faceted as we all are.

As the Summit closed we were sent forth to do great things in our own communities! Everyone left pumped and ready to tackle the issues and barriers discussed so that we can implement solutions in our respective states to get more youth outdoors! The Southeast Outdoor Nation Regional Summit was a blast—I left with new friends, new interests, new activities to try, and new strategies to GTFO (Get the Fun Outside) for youth!

In each location, delegates will brainstorm project ideas that address regional issues and ultimately engage more young people in the outdoors by removing barriers to participation. They will vote on the top ideas in each region and receive funding and training from the Outdoor Foundation to carry out these projects.

Outdoor Nation launched in June 2010 in New York’s Central Park when 500 young adults representing all 50 states gathered in what became the largest and most diverse summit to connect youth to the outdoors. The event sparked a youth-led movement that is empowering the Millennial generation to reconnect, redefine and rediscover America as an Outdoor Nation.

“After reading Richard Louv’s book, Nature Deficit Disorder, lots of people became concerned about how America’s youth was losing its connection to nature, but most of the focus was put on creating programs for toddlers, tikes and teeny-boppers—naturally leading us to think, “Hey, what about us!?”, said Stefanie Michaelson, an Outdoor Nation Youth Ambassador from Salt Lake City, Utah. “When we got together in New York and saw the commitment and passion of so many of our peers from across the country, we agreed that we wanted to lead this revolution on our own terms, for ourselves and the generations to follow.”

The delegates also resolved to take Outdoor Nation into the community by laying the groundwork for Outdoor Nation to host 1,300 youth leaders through the 2011 Outdoor Nation Summer Summits. There is an open selection process with a brief online application that can be accessed through OutdoorNation.org. Delegates must be between 18 and 28 years of age and must provide their own transportation to and from the Summit. Outdoor Nation will make arrangements for and cover the costs of food and lodging during the event.

Outdoor Nation named America’s State Parks its national partner and top cause for 2011. Faced with deep budget cuts and unprecedented park closures, America’s state parks have been identified by the Outdoor Nation community of ‘Outsiders’ as its top advocacy issue because of their unmatched importance in America’s outdoor recreation. America’s State Parks, with more than 7,000 sites and a record 740 Million visits in 2010, were founded more than a century ago to provide close-to-home access to nature for all citizens. In addition to record visitation, America’s State Parks hit significant milestones in 2010 related to both number of protected acres and economic contribution, which topped $23 billion.

“This summer we will bring Outdoor Nation into the states and communities to address the real issues that are keeping people inside, “ said Lindsay Bourgoine, Lead Outdoor Nation Ambassador. “Our community of Outsiders will actively champion important causes like America’s State Parks – engaging new communities and inspiring new leadership across all 50 states.”

Outdoor Nation wouldn’t have the appeal that it does with the Millennial generation if it was all work and no play. Tied to every Summit is a Summer Fun Day celebration held in a nearby park to highlight the incredible range of outdoor recreation opportunities—from kayaking to rock climbing to a family fun area—that are available to us close to home. These events are open to the community and are expected to attract thousands of local residents.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Outdoor Nation is an initiative of The Outdoor Foundation and was founded with initial support from The North Face, Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, REI Foundation, The Conservation Fund and the National Park Service.

The Outdoor Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to inspiring and growing future generations of outdoor enthusiasts. Through groundbreaking research, action oriented convening and outreach and education programs, the Foundation works with partners to mobilize a major cultural shift that leads all Americans to the great outdoors. In 2010, the Foundation launched Outdoor Nation, a pioneering initiative that aims to empower youth to champion the outdoors on campuses and in communities across the United States.

For more information visit: http://www.outdoorfoundation.org and http://www.outdoornation.org.