Be Out!

Black to the Land Coalition would like to expand our outdoor programming to engage more Black and Brown individuals and families. "Be Out!" project will expand the Urban Forest School (ages 0 to 10) program offerings with more educational outings at various nature based facilities. There will be more hands on activities and crafts for the our Forest Schoolers to participate in. We will also continue to provide programming and activities for youth/young adults that participate in the Urban Forest University Teen Squad and are building out more programming opportunities that are age appropriate. We will start focusing on adults ages 60 and up (The Roots) with events and programming specific to their interest

With Urban Forest School, Urban Forest University, and our Roots program, we want to increase participation and engage new individuals and families that have not attended previous events or engaged in activities in a while. Our goal is track data through pre and post surveys to better understand the impact we are having on our community and to help us determine which programs to increase or add in the future. 

Be Out is dedicated to getting more individuals and families interested in and participating in nature based activities to improve their physical and mental well being. 

Once awarded the money, the Coalition will do the following:

1. Meet to discuss details and put together a project management overview and timeline and identify people responsible to successfully carry out any task associated with the "Be Out!" project. Monthly meetings will take place, more frequently if need be, to make sure programs have everything we need to successfully carry out events and activities.
2. Plan and research the necessary equipment and items we need for events and educational programming. After researching equipment we will purchase and then inventory and tag items. 
3. We will begin outreach using email campaigns and in person events to bring in new Black to the Land guest and members. 
4. We will have someone gather data through pre and post surveys and prepare reports of events and activities to showcase the benefits and impact of the work we do. 
5. Celebrate successes and share lessons learned so that we can continue to improve the quality and hopefully quantity of events and people we engage through our programming. 

Black and Brown people have typically been excluded from outdoor related activities such as hiking, camping, kayaking, birding, and more, due to the fact that the space has been predominantly take up by non-BIPOC people who sometimes can alienate or make Black and Brown people feel unwelcome and often unsafe. The outdoor industry is currently dominated by white males, and little has been done to mitigate or treat the wounds of past traumatic experiences of Black and Brown people in nature spaces. Many of the listed outdoor activities are things that many Black people have never experienced, and will likely not experience without the guidance and support of Black to the Land Coalition's event. "Be Out!" will help connect our community to more nature based education and activities which studies show that the when people enjoy green spaces, they are more likely to help protect the environment by being more conscious of safer, more sustainable ways. Socially, "Be Out!" will continue to be an answer to connecting individuals and families to the outdoors and to other outdoors community based organizations that provide education, training and space for Black and Brown people to become leaders in outdoor related spaces.