WEBINAR (01:02:52) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Why it Matters for the Future of Your Organization

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, sometimes dubbed “cultural relevancy”, are top of mind for many outdoor and environmental organizations, but exactly what they entail can be amorphous, and implementation can feel overwhelming. In this hour-long webinar, the Avarna Group will give you a framework to think about the why and how of tackling these initiatives within your organization, as well as some basic vocabulary to get you started. 

WEBINAR (00:57:47) How to Eat an Elephant: Getting Started with DEI Work

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is often seen as the elephant in the room. It’s big. It’s heavy. It’s overwhelming. In its second TYO webinar, the Avarna Group makes the pachydermic work of DEI more palatable and less paralyzing through a simple framework that allows us to take one bite at a time. Previous webinar attendees learned the reasons why this work is important in the outdoor, youth development and environmental space in our “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Why it Matters for the Future of Your Organization” webinar. Now you’ll learn what to do next.

WEBINAR (00:38:42) Intro to Fund Development

Successful fundraising is the backbone to sustainability for your program. Please join TYO Executive Director Chris Rutgers as he shares his years of successful fundraising experience with you. This webinar will give you an introduction and overview to the world of fundraising for Outdoor Youth Programs.

Presenter Bio: Chris Rutgers, TYO Executive Director/Founder & Founder of Outdoor Outreach – Chris Rutgers is no stranger to fundraising for youth outdoor programs. Over the years, as the founder of Outdoor Outreach and TYO, Chris has raised over $10 million dollars to support programs getting kids outdoors.

WEBINAR Grant Writing 101

In the Grant Writing 101 webinar, Ivan Levin with the Outdoor Foundation shares grant writing advice, perspectives from a funding Foundation and secrets of what he looks for when reviewing grant applications. This deck is the companion piece to the webinar and is a valuable resource to anyone who submits grants for funding

WEBINAR (01:05:46) The Power of Story: How to Increase Engagement with Strategic Narrative

Stories have the power to connect us as outdoor enthusiasts, youth advocates, humans. And often times, they catalyze our work as professionals and volunteers who strive to keep nature a primary focus in our communities. But when it comes to telling and selling a story, it’s hard to stand out among all those cawing for the attention of your audience. That’s why TYO and the cofounders of Mooncut Mountain Creative have paired up to offer this webinar on strategic narrative. During this 60-minute session on storytelling, you’ll learn:

• The anatomy of a powerful story

• Best practices for engaging your target audience

• Biggest storytelling mistakes of outdoors- and eco-focused organizations

• Steps for strengthening your story

• Our free-range Solstice Strudel recipe

Much of your success creating outstanding outdoor programs depends on how well you grab (and keep) the attention of your audience. Find out how to be heard, and you’ll help shape the future of your organization—and the youth it serves—for the better.

WEBINAR (00:58:01) Digital Marketing 101: A Toolkit for Online Engagement

Do you struggle with digital marketing and audience engagement? The current online landscape is vast and can be tough to navigate without a basic understanding of the terrain and the tools to get moving in the right direction. We asked the team at Mooncut Mountain Creative to shed some light and share their tips for crafting and implementing a strategic plan that produces results.

WEBINAR (00:47:27) The Every Child Healthy Outdoors (ECHO) Across America Toolkit

“The Every Child Healthy Outdoors (ECHO) Across America Toolkit – Lessons from a year of toolkit implementation” webinar is ideal for individuals or groups tasked with engaging their community and community leaders in efforts to improve access to outdoor resources for families and youth.

Learn how you can get involved with OAK and receive resources like the ECHO Toolkit and get involved in advocacy efforts to support children and families in the outdoors in your community. OAK’s ECHO Across America Toolkit provides a suite of resources to advance opportunities to connect children, youth and families with the outdoors at the state and local level. The goal of OAK’s ECHO Across America initiative is to bring state and local leaders together to launch a comprehensive multi-sector plan to get more kids and families outdoors.

In collaboration with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the community of Albuquerque, NM, the Outdoors Alliance for Kids (OAK) piloted a year of strategic implementation of the ECHO Across America Toolkit. Larisa Chavez will walk attendees through the challenges, and successes she faced in engaging Albuquerque community members and leaders in these efforts. In her year long VISTA term, Larisa learned that “it takes a village” to grow opportunities for children and families in the outdoors and she will share best practices and findings from her work in NM. Valuable Q&A is also included.

WEBINAR (00:59:53) Gear libraries and growing community capacity to connect youth to the outdoors!

Join Outdoors Empowered Network (OEN), founder Kyle Macdonald, as he shares a unique and highly effective program model that is providing immersive and culturally relevant outdoor experiences to thousands of youth living in cities around the U.S. Member Programs of the Network use the model to build community capacity to connect youth to nature by putting resources in the hands of teachers and youth workers by training them in wilderness leadership skills and providing free access to outdoor Gear Libraries. Learn about the advantages and challenges of a network approach that is leveraging collaboration to get over 10,000 youth outdoors annually. Lastly, hear more about what you can do to bring this program model to your community.

WEBINAR (01:00:03) Best Practice Outdoor Youth Development Programs

In this webinar we talk to the Executive Directors from City Kids Wilderness Project, Outdoor Outreach, and SOS Outreach to learn what it takes to deliver and grow a successful outdoor youth development program. In this interactive Q&A style webinar, we will cover a range of topics such as fundraising, evaluation, program models, partnerships, and more.

WEBINAR (00:41:13) How to Integrate Leave No Trace Into Outdoor Experiences for Youth.

In this webinar, join the experts from the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics to examine current best practices for engaging youth in conversations and actions surrounding outdoor ethics. Our conversation will be framed around several delivery points, from family outings to dedicated youth programs like camps and schools. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how to integrate effective Leave No Trace education methods and tools into outdoor experiences for youth.

WEBINAR (00:52:43) Reframing Evaluation: A better path to understanding your impact

Does the thought of evaluation make you want to stick your head in the sand? Do the words “logic model” send you off to sleep? As a pair of former non-formal program directors, Kelly & Corrie have been there too. However, they’re blazing a new trail – one that will help you reveal that powerful story your organization has to tell. Join them as they break down the process of evaluation into a set of strategies and tools that can help your organization reinvent the way you navigate and understand participant experience. They discuss the importance of engaging in an evaluative process as means to revealing meaningful impact. And, how the process of evaluation can actually strengthen your organization from within.

WEBINAR (00:58:18) Program Evaluation Planning: The first step to success

Are you still looking for that “perfect” survey to evaluate your program? Do you feel like your current method of evaluation (if you have one) is lacking?

When Blue Lotus talks about evaluation, they often hear programs ask about evaluation tools, metrics, and measures. They love that juicy topic as much as anyone, but to understand the tools you need, you have to understand what it is that you’re trying to measure. And it starts with an EVALUATION PLAN.

We know, we know… while seemingly boring and unimportant, a solid evaluation plan will actually enliven your interest in evaluation from a holistic perspective. The process will encourage you and your colleagues to do some serious reflection on the work you do and how it aligns with the outcomes you are trying to achieve. Time spent up front on a good evaluation plan will create a culture of feedback and allow you to choose the best tools for the job you want to do. (Psst…your development director or grant writer will love you for it, too!) Want more? Listen to the webinar now!

WEBINAR (01:06:13) What does inclusion have to do with risk management?

Increasingly, social and emotional risk have been discussed as an important facet of risk management. In this webinar, join industry experts as we identify barriers and explore opportunities to integrate your inclusion efforts with risk management tools and systems. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how inclusion is an essential component for effective and holistic risk management systems. 

WEBINAR (00:41:13) How to Integrate Leave No Trace into Outdoor Experiences for Youth.

In this webinar, join the experts from the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics to examine current best practices for engaging youth in conversations and actions surrounding outdoor ethics. Our conversation will be framed around several delivery points, from family outings to dedicated youth programs like camps and schools. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how to integrate effective Leave No Trace education methods and tools into outdoor experiences for youth.

WEBINAR (00:54:49) Leave No Trace: Youth Program Accreditation

Camps, schools, and after-school programs are ideal settings to engage young people in Leave No Trace. But what elements of a youth program contribute to successful Leave No Trace education and program experiences? Join the experts from the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics to understand how their new accreditation tool helps organizations examine key areas of programming, education, youth engagement, and organizational messaging. Our conversation will unpack the eleven accreditation standards and examine their direct impact to your program. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of the accreditation process and value that the tool brings to their program. This webinar is intended for administrators, directors, principals and other youth program leaders.

Contact Andrew Leary, andrew@lnt.org with any questions about this content.

Get Ready for Summer with Nature Passport App

Contact www.NaturePassport.org with any questions about this content.

Get ready for summer! This webinar shares a new tool you can use in your programming to help children engage and connect with the natural environment that surrounds them.

The Nature Passport team presents ways to use their app as a tool to help connect children, families and classrooms to the natural world. Don’t miss their helpful tips!

Developed by IslandWood and Nature Play Western Australia, the international app was designed to encourage and motivate kids and families to have fun engaging with their environment wherever that may be—from backyards and city parks, to beaches and other wild places.

The Nature Passport app was created as a collaborative platform to get as many kids and their families experiencing the benefits of outdoor play, exploration, and learning, as possible.

HEALTH AND WELLBEING: The app gets kids and families moving outdoors, which research shows improves both physical and mental health outcomes at any age.

FUN FAMILY MEMORIES: Technology and the pace of life limit the opportunities for families to play together. The app helps families make the most of every day to connect and build positive shared memories.

LIFELONG STEWARDSHIP: By connecting kids and families with nature in a fun way, the app plants the seeds for pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors.

COGNITIVE FUNCTION: Activities in the app foster curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking – skills shown to boost academic performance and learning.

Contact www.NaturePassport.org with any questions about this content.

WEBINAR (00:20:27) USAJOBS.GOV

This webinar provides a detailed look into the application and hiring process for the US Government. You can learn how to search and apply for jobs with the Federal Government using USAJOBS, the main website for Federal employment information. The webinar is provided by Keaton Welch, Graduate Teaching Assistant from Ohio University / Patton College of Education, Department of Recreation & Sport Pedagogy.

WEBINAR (00:39:56) Outdoor Recreation and Conservation Careers Toolkit

Want to work in the outdoors, but not sure where to start? Do you know someone who is dreaming of a career in the outdoors?If you are working with students hoping to establish a career in the outdoors or are looking to work in the outdoors yourself, then this webinar is for you. In this webinar, we share and give you access to an entire suite of resources that were specifically developed to practically support finding and applying for jobs in Outdoor Recreation and Conservation in the government, nonprofit, education and for-profit sectors.

WEBINAR (1:10:49) TYO Demystifying the Forest Service Special Use Process

Are you a guide, outfitter, or organization facilitating outdoor recreation opportunities on Forest Service land? If your answer is “yes”, then this webinar is for you!

Learn about the recently created guide designed to help you learn about the process for obtaining a special use permit focusing on recreational uses. This guide will help you understand what kind of activities and uses are considered a “special use” and require a special use authorization, learn about the process for obtaining a special use authorization, and provide additional information that will help you navigate the proposal and application process.

WEBINAR Understanding the Benefits and Impacts of Outdoor Experiences

We all know that being outdoors makes us feel better, but can we prove it?

• Can the outdoors have a direct impact on one’s health?

• Can we measure these effects?