Rue Mapp of Outdoor Afro is excited to present in Atlanta this week at Keeping it Wild and at the American Camp Association‘s (ACA) National Convention! ACA is an education partner of Outdoor Afro, and together they have designed curriculum for their e-institute entitled: Cultivating Camp Relevancy for Diverse Audiences - check it out!

Both events are designed to energize the field of outdoor recreation and camp management around how to engage more diverse audiences with the outdoors.
Click on the image above for more information for the Keeping it Wild appearance, and click here to learn …

Creative Director and Co-Founder of BALANCE Edutainment Aaron Ableman shares information on their inspiring flagship initiative–Pacha’s Pajamas! Let’s turn all the mini-Afros into Nature Superheroes!

I once heard it said that you are what you eat. Well, it’s also true that you are what you listen to and what you watch on YouTube! In fact, I was with a classroom of 4 year olds the other day and half of them could quote the entire verse of a Jay-Z song, with degrading lyrics and all. Then, I asked them to describe …

Contributed by Alex Kudryavtsev, a native of Russia and PhD Candidate at Cornell University.
Alex conducts a participatory research project in the Bronx and elsewhere on how urban environmental education programs develop a sense of place in youth. I am also glad to work with Alex as part of  EECapacity, an EPA-sponsored project led by Cornell University’s Civic Ecology Lab to support ways EE can be more relevant to urban communities.
He introduces to us the narratives of Julien Terrell (in his role of educator at Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice in the Bronx) …

I had such a thrill yesterday connecting with land loving friends in Berkeley, CA at the Bay Area Open Space Council’s Rainy Season Gathering to discuss how we might better connect people to land in a relevant way.
The following is re-posted from the Bay Area Open Space Council Blog – start from the bottom and work your way up! It’s the next best thing to being there!
It’s raining in the Bay Area!  The Rainy Season Gathering brought the rain to Berkeley.  It’s official.  (for those of you reading this from …

The Snowy Day, by author and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats (1916-1983) is a book I loved to read as a child, and in recent years have enjoyed with my own three children.
Today marks the book’s 50th Anniversary, and is the first children’s picture book of its time to feature an African American boy hero. What inspires me today about the narrative is its tribute to the carefree way urban youth independently experienced nature in winter.
 
Using collage as a medium for illustration, Keats tells the story of young Peter who leaves his apartment alone to join …

Just received word that “What’s Good in My Hood“, the innovative environmental education curriculum designed by  Akiima Price  for the New York Restoration Project has gone to print! The curriculum is aimed at helping urban youth investigate their community assets and opportunities, and learn how they can make a difference:
Learn more about this refreshing and timely approach to environmental education in this short clip:

Contributed by Jennifer Chambers, founder of Hiking Along Science & Hiking for Kids
Last Sunday was one of those perfect fall afternoons in DC:  Bright blue skies, crisp autumn air and amazing colors of yellow, orange and red shimmered in the sunlight. Who wouldn’t want to be outside? Ten families from Jack and Jill, an African American family organization said “sign me up!” and participated on a hike with  Hiking Along in Scott’s Run Nature Preserve along the Potomac River.

Twenty-three energetic kids and their parents hiked two miles underneath old growth trees to learn …

Glad to report my 8 year-old-son Billy had his first surfing experience today, courtesy of my awesome co-worker Manav Thapar. Billy had no fear, and much tenacity, as he learned and was successful standing up several times on the board! I was too busy cheering him on to catch him on the waves, but here are a few shots of his wetsuit experience:
More images:
Also stoked to hear about Zoe Polk who was SOS in the Marin Headlands! She says the Marin Headlands is one of her favorite spots to hike …

Keon Flavius talks about his summer as a LEAF Intern with The Nature Conservancy on Carpenter Ranch in Colorado and his first experience riding a horse.

“How big will the piranhas be?”
Submitted by Outdoor Afro Brandon Pope, CIG, Education Specialist at the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center. His blog exemplifies the need for relevant outdoor leadership to help youth feel more comfort and at ease to explore nature for the first time. Click to enlarge the wonderful pictures below:
Our agency recently hosted a three days/two nights float trip on the Current River in Southeast Missouri for 33 boys from Kansas City. None of them had ever tried any type of outdoor recreational activities outside of sports. So camping, canoeing, …