In 2015, REI sparked conversation â and a larger movement â when they made the shocking announcement that they would not only close their stores on the Friday after Thanksgiving, but that they would also pay their 12,000+ employees to essentially play outside that day instead. The idea was to encourage people to skip the traditional shopping rush on whatâs become known as âBlack Fridayâ...
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Whether by leading a hike, hosting a campout, teaching climbing skills, or coordinating an environmental education class, outdoor educators, and program leaders are responsible for helping others form lifelong connections to the natural world. However, itâs also important to remember our responsibility to help preserve and protect the places where we teach and play by weaving the concept of stewardship into programming whenever possible. All...
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Are you interested in pursuing a career in the outdoors, but arenât quite sure where to start â or do you know someone else who dreams of working outdoors? Whether youâre hoping to forge your own path or are working with young people who are hoping to establish a career in the outdoors, keep reading for tips on how to hone in on a career...
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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 âreal job.â 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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