Programs to Highlight from Los Angeles Recreation Forum

The following are some of the exemplary programs that were presented at the Recreation Forum in Arcadia, California, on March 12, 2007. Please feel free to comment on how these programs could be furthered or replicated.

The California Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights- We believe every child in California should experience these ten things before they turn 14: Discover California’s past, to celebrate their heritage, splash in the water, learn to swim, camp under the stars, follow a trail, catch a fish, play in a safe place, explore nature, and play on a team. These ten things are supported by data as providers of key benefits to children’s health and well-being.
Emilyn Sheffield, Interpretive Association of the West

Wildlink is a successful initiative largely because it’s partnered with agencies with money. The key to serving underserved communities is to give people heavily subsidized introductory experiences to the outdoors. We contact people in the communities to ask them what they need. We use an experiential methodology to reinforce a student’s success. We don’t ask kids to do tasks they are not ready to do.
Moose Mutlow, Yosemite Institute, Wildlink Program

We just need to show inner city kids there’s a wonderful world of outdoor activities outside their five block radius. We partner with already existing youth service agencies like groups, homeless shelters, etc. and work to create a program specific to them. It is important to make the programming comprehensive and long-term. You can’t just show kids something cool once and never take them again. The outdoors is about more than just recreation. We need to promote to legislatures and potential donors that recreation can mean life-changing experiences for some.
Christopher Rutgers, Outdoor Outreach

Mountain High did 180,000 skiier visits when we took over in 1997. Now it does over 500,000. How did we do it? Through marketing to the 12-24 age group and the boarder groups. We created a hip, fun, energetic environment and boarding keeps up with what kids think is cool. We employ kids to talk to other kids. Adults just can’t sell as successfully to kids. Make it fun! Spruce up your image. Use Myspace.com. Use the new technologies to introduce your programs. If you do the same things you’ve always done you wouldn’t be successful at attracting a new crowd. There are so many rules about what you can’t do. Take a step back and ask if you are creating too many barriers. Treat kids with respect.
Karl Kapuscinski, President, Mountain High Resort

We’re based on the needs of the community. Some need jobs, others just need positive role models. We involve high-risk youth in the public lands, but we bring the Forest Service to the communities instead of the other way around. We connect people to the public lands through visible role models. We bring local people who have succeeded back so others can see that higher education is not foreign and out of their reach.

There are three key components in the Consortium model- environmental education, community, and employment. We also just take youth outdoors. We agree that programs need to be comprehensive, long-term, and consistent. Give them the opportunity to take the lead and they will keep coming back. Once you expose kids to the great outdoors, something clicks for them. They consider pursuing a higher degree in natural resources. Then these role models can help them build resumes and pursue internships.
Fabian Garcia, California Consortia

We host a Los Angeles County Parks Summit each year. County, state, federal, and other park & recreation providers come together and talk about recreation issues. The goal is to break down the barriers between the agencies and facilitate conversation. First order of business is to get on a first name basis with people within the profession that you may not work with regularly. Each year the summit chooses an issue to tackle. We also meet on a quarterly basis to talk about legislative issues.
Russ Guiney, Director of Los Angeles County Parks and Rec

We have a tremendous outreach program for young women called "Taking the Reigns" and another called "Dusty’s Riders for inner city youth. More pony rides in the parks would help us introduce youth to horses.
Lynn Brown, National Trail Coordinator for Equestrian Trails, Inc.