TYO-Communications Manager | My passion is connecting people to the outdoors. I do this professionally as a consultant specializing in marketing and communications for companies/organizations committed to getting people outdoors. I also teach people about the outdoors first hand as an REI Outdoor School Instructor and a Sierra Club Leader.
With summer in full swing, paddling is a great way to beat the heat. We reached out to our friends from Leave No Trace for tips on how your program can minimize it’s impact while encouraging participants to get out and paddle. They provided the 7 paddling specific Leave No Trace™ principles below. Leave No Trace™ principles are simple guidelines to help you...
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Spring is here! Wildflower super blooms are blanketing deserts, native gardens are in full bloom, and our pollinator friends are happy. But there is a need to create year-round gardens and landscapes to help bees, butterflies, birds, bats and other pollinators thrive as their native landscapes are threatened. Planting a pollinator garden can be a fun project and can provide a great learning opportunity for...
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As you build and grow your organization or project, finding sustainable funding will be critical to your success. Whether you are just getting started or already have experience in this area, the TYO platform offers a whole host of resources for you. Just getting your feet wet? Start with the Fund Development Learning Path. As you build and grow your organization or project, finding sustainable funding...
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There are many opportunities for a career in the outdoors, but sometimes the path is not obvious. In fact, often careers in the outdoors are overlooked while young people are looking for a “real job.” It is important to note that the Outdoor Recreation Economy alone accounts for 6.1 million American jobs. In partnership with the US Fish & Wildlife Service, TYO has created an...
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Program Evaluation is integral to a successful program. By creating an evaluation plan, collecting the data, and looking at the information objectively you can continue to grow and evolve your program on a successful path. A good resource to become familiar with the process is the TYO Program Evaluation Path. This path gives a good introduction and overview to program evaluation and provides concrete tools that you can use...
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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? Join TYO and Blue Lotus Consulting & Evaluation for the first webinar in our 3 part series on Program Evaluation. When Blue Lotus talks about evaluation, they often hear programs ask about evaluation tools, metrics, and measures....
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Creating a Theory of Change will define your strategy for creating impact. A Theory of Change helps your organization communicate the work it is doing in the world and what the results or the impact of that work will be. A Theory of Change states that if your organization is successful in executing on its mission and meeting the needs of its client population, then...
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With winter almost upon us, now is a great time to consider diversifying your programming to include winter sports if you haven’t already. Skiing and snowboarding programs are a great way to engage youth and get them excited about getting outdoors in the winter and may not be as out of reach as one might think. Do you personally lack the skills to teach Skiing...
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November brings fall colors, cold nights, and the bustle of the holiday season. For many of us the outdoors, our family, and our friends are a natural part of enjoying this time of year. Youth programs often find this time valuable for reflecting back on the busy summer and starting to think about goals for the upcoming year. There are a couple of great national...
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Your TYO profile is easy to complete and doing so will enhance your TYO experience. A complete profile serves as a networking tool, allows others to find and connect with you, and allows the TYO team to customize communications with you based on the information you provide. Let’s start with focusing on why the various fields are important! Location – By adding your location (city...
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