Empowering the Next Generation

Mesa Land Trust helped direct a multi year project that gets youth outdoors, inspires personal ownership of outdoor spaces in their community, and develops community leaders in the outdoors Funded by Great Outdoors Colorado, Inspire Initiative Collaborative partnership with the City of Grand Junction, Riverside Educational Center, Colorado Parks & Wildlife, and 7 other partners Community Driven, Youth Directed – Youth Advisory Coalition

Presenters Libby Collins: Mesa Land Trust, Project Manager Linda Strand: GOCO Board Member Joy Hudak: Riverside Educational Center, Executive Director Gabi Martinez, GOCO Inspire High School Youth Advisory Coalition member Naomi Morales, GOCO Inspire High School Youth Advisory Coalition member Gabriel Martinez, GOCO Inspire High School Youth Advisory Coalition member

Community and Leadership Development Riverside community After school tutoring programs K-12 After school outdoor enrichment Getting youth to lead

Outdoor Programs and Pathways Naomi talks about how outdoor enrichment programs lead to leadership and pathways opportunities

Improving Riverside’s access to the outdoors and the impact on community Gabi & Gabriel

Capacity and Mission Concerns Three factors that allowed the Mesa Land Trust to commit: GOCO funding Executive Director support Working with strategic partners (City of Grand Junction, REC, Mesa County Health) Mission drift: Always bring the message back to conservation Capacity: partnering with other service organizations Funding: New opportunities for funding youth related programs

Great Outcomes Leadership Development in the outdoors Stories Make Conservation Relevant Kids Public Health Community Public Lands Outdoor Recreation and Economic Impact