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California
”I'm the 180º kid because lots of people cared about me even when I wasn't doing so good. I just needed to get out of the city. And those nature hikes and backpacking trips...you know, you just change.”
— Avingston Arnold, Crenshaw High School
California offers an unbelievable array of natural wonders: oceans, mountains, forests, grasslands, desserts, wildlife of every kind. All too often, however, those vistas simply provide the backdrop against which most of us live out our lives. This is especially true for California's youth. When almost every moment of the day is accounted for- school, homework, sports, clubs, video games, television- there is precious little time for outdoor play and exploration.
It's time to reconnect California's youth with the outdoors! At Building Bridges to the Outdoors, we believe every child deserves the opportunity for an outdoor experience. Here's why:
- To Widen Horizons: Getting outside teaches new skills, builds appreciation for nature, and inspires the imagination. Remember hopping from rock to rock so you wouldn't step in the "lava"?
- To Build Brainpower: Children who participate in such programs can raise their science test scores by 27 percent! (according to a study administered by the California Department of Education and released in 2005)
- For their Health: National Center for Health Statistics show that, today, one in five kids is overweight. Getting outside means getting exercise- let's get kids moving!
At the Sierra Club, we are working to ensure that every child has a special place in nature. But each community's needs are different- that's why Building Bridges to the Outdoors supports the wonderful work already being done in different communities. Here's how:
- Partners: We are working with a diverse set of partners including educators, health organizations, outdoor programs, law enforcement officials and outdoor recreation groups to reconnect kids with nature, and to showcase the fact that all of us support California's youth.
- Public Outreach: It's time for us all to work together to ensure that the next generation enjoys all the privileges of the last!
- Advocacy: Building Bridges to the Outdoors is engaging public officials to develop sustainable funding for programs that get kids outdoors.
- Youth Leaders: We believe that California's youth deserve a voice in guiding the public discussion of outdoor education, so we are identifying and training youth leaders to ensure that their voices are heard.
Want to be part of the solution? It's as easy as walking out your front door! Here's what you can do:
- Organize a family outdoor outing
- Join or start a family hiking club in your neighborhood
- Take a walk through a local park
- Enjoy a backyard picnic
- Contact a decision maker in your community and let them know why getting kids outside is important to you
- Get together with other concerned community members to brainstorm how you can get kids involved in outdoor activities in your neighborhood
Building Bridges to the Outdoors hopes to inspire the next generation to a healthier, happier, greener future, and to make sure that no child is left inside
Contact Us
Tiffany Saleh, California Youth Representative
3435 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 660
Los Angeles, CA 90010
(213) 387-6528, ext. 204
Tiffany.Saleh@SierraClub.org
Find Out More
Partners
BBTO partners with many organizations in California:
Aquatic Adventures (San Diego, CA)
Boys and Girls Club of San Gabriel Valley (San Gabriel Valley, CA)
Crenshaw High School Eco Club (Los Angeles, CA)
Girl Scouts of San Francisco Bay Area (San Francisco, CA)
Kids for the Bay (Oakland, CA)
O'Neill Sea Odyssey (Santa, Cruz, CA)
Outdoor Outreach (San Diego, CA)
SCICON: Outdoor School of Science and Conservation
(Springville, CA)
Shady Creek Outdoor School (Yuba City, CA)
St. John's Educational Thresholds Center (San Francisco, CA)
Sly Park Environmental Education Center (Pollock Pines, CA)
Wilderness Arts and Literacy Collaborative (San Francisco, CA)
BBTO Partner Showcase!
Against the backdrop of concrete streets and bitter gang violence, the Crenshaw High School Eco Club reconnects South Los Angeles youth with the outdoors. Bill Vanderberg, Crenshaw's Dean and Eco Club Advisor, believes in the power of this connection to inspire and empower. On a
recent trip, he challenged his students to put aside longstanding athletic and gang rivalries and join Dorsey High School on a trip to Yosemite National Park. BBTO California is proud to partner with the Eco Club. For more information about the Crenshaw Eco Club, contact Bill Vanderberg at
crenshawecoclub@gmail.com.
- Read about Crenshaw and Dorsey's trip to Yosemite! Team of Rivals, Sierra Magazine, (July/August 2009)
- Watch as the CBS Early Show highlights Bill Vanderberg, Crenshaw's Dean of Students and Eco Club advisor, and names him an "Early's Angel"
Where in the US is BBTO?
Click here to see an interactive map of BBTO project partners.
BBTO Partner Slideshow
