Outdoor Recreation
for ALL

De-racialize the outdoors! Create an affirming environment for all campers of color

Current Learning Opportunities

De-racialize the Outdoors: Bridging the Nature Gap

Welcome to the De-racialize the Outdoors online course! 🌿🌲

Are you passionate about outdoor recreation, but concerned about the lack of diversity and representation in nature spaces? Do you believe that everyone should have equal access to the great outdoors, regardless of their background? If so, this course is designed for you!

Course Overview

Duration: 4 weeks (8 hours total)

Start Date: April 9th, 2024

Time: 10 AM – 12PM (Central Time)

Cost: $300 per person (Group rates available)

Location: The comfort of wherever you find yourself! (on-line)

What You’ll Learn

In this transformative course, we’ll explore ways to:

Close the Nature Gap: Understand the historical and systemic barriers that have limited access to outdoor spaces for marginalized communities.
Expand Opportunities: Discover strategies to engage Black individuals, Indigenous people, and people of color in outdoor recreation.
Promote Inclusivity: Learn how to create welcoming and safe environments within camps, retreat centers, and outdoor programs.

Course Instructors

Our passionate instructors, Rhonda Hill and Judnard Henry, bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to guide you through this journey. They are committed to fostering a more inclusive and equitable outdoor community.

Join Us!

Ready to make a difference? Register now to become part of the movement to de-racialize the outdoors! Let’s create a world where everyone feels at home in nature. 🌎🌿

Staff Training and Professional Development for Every Budget

We will give your team the tools to create an affirming and safe environment for both staff and campers of color.

The "great outdoors" is for everyone!

What We Offer

People of color nearly makeup 40 percent of the population of the United States. Yet, when it comes to outdoor recreation people of color are underrepresented. We are working to close the racial gap in outdoor recreation, to reverse the effects of racism on the outdoors by mobilizing awareness and demanding greater accessibility to the natural world for all. We do this by offering training and leadership development to staff and leaders like YOU, ready to make a change. Check out our options below. We tailor our experience to meet your needs.

Summer Staff Anti-racism Training

Professional Development

Consulting

Summer Staff Anti- racism Training

While many say ‘the outdoors does not discriminate,’ it is safe to say that our outdoor recreational system is built on the same underlying system of oppression governing our society. We believe that nature is a human right and ensure not just access but a sense of belonging for all. We recognize that sense of belonging is heavily shaped by camp counselors and summer staff that engage with the youth. Examining race and class, our training invites staff to explore the question "to whom does the outdoors belong?" This question invites those working directly with campers and camp staff to understand their own biases and how those get in the way of creating belonging for campers of color.

Covered in Anti-racism Training:

Terminology

Real-world consequences of racist views and actions on outdoor recreation

Engaging People of Color and the Outdoors

Professional
Development

We work to help your team of leaders expand their understanding of race and class, mobilizing that understanding for transformation in outdoor recreation.

In addition to creating lasting memories and connections to the outdoors, you want a business that is financially healthy. According to the Multicultural Economy Report from the University of Georgia, minority markets have a 3.9 trillion buying power. We help you develop the leadership needed to welcome a racially and economically diverse population.

Covered in Professional Development

Develop new skills and behaviors
Expand leadership capacity to serve underserved communities
Emphasis on trust and cooperation for growth

Consulting

We will walk alongside your organization as your organization seeks to make institutional changes that will provide for more diversity. We will recommend strategies to improve the organizations policies, leadership structure and recruitment process in an effort to create an equitable experience and encourage a racially diverse and inclusive outdoor site.

Consulting Service Options:

Organizational Audit
Develop Framework for Accountability
Engage Institutional Commitment for Change

Client
Testimonials

My family attended the Back Joy Retreat in July 2022. This retreat provided us time to connect with nature, enjoy bonding time with family and meet new friends. All of the activities were well planned, the food was delicious and the rooms were comfortable. We will definitely be attending this retreat annually. It was also my daughter’s birthday weekend, so we have adopted this as our new tradition for her birthday. Rhonda and her team do an amazing job of curating the right activities to engage all.

- Wansheba Lawal, Participant Black Joy Retreat

Rhonda came and helped train our staff for the summer. She gave a thorough introduction which broke down the false idea that the outdoors is a white space. For a camp with mostly white staff and campers, it was incredibly helpful to understand the biases we hold and experiences of people of color in camp settings. Many staff members commented afterward how much they appreciated her voice!

- Drew Yoos, Program Director, Lutheridge

“Making space for people to be themselves is a meaningful experience that I was glad to share in with Race and Faith and the Black Joy Retreat”

- Judnard Henry, Manager, Program & Hospitality at United Church Camps

Let's work together

Phone

(414) 736-0523

Email

rhonda@raceandfaith.org