We Outside

The “We Outside” program’s goal is to encourage youth to unplug from technology and go outside to enjoy the beauty of nature and the King County Park system while being physically active and learning about holistic health and wellbeing. We seek to serve 100 youth (4 Cohorts of 25) from communities that are socioeconomically disadvantaged, people with limited English proficiency, youth who are geographically isolated, educationally disenfranchised, people of color, ethnic minorities, and individuals with disabilities.

The “We Outside” program will provide 10 weeks of outings for 4 cohorts of 25 youth each. These outings will include either a group bicycle outing, golf outing and lesson, or a tennis outing and lesson.

  • Transportation to weekly group recreational activities.

  • Healthy snacks and nutritious meals.

  • Bicycles, bicycle helmets, and bicycle security locks.

  • Golfing outings and lessons.

  • Tennis rackets, tennis balls, and tennis lessons.

Group cycling outings will include trips to King County parks, green spaces, and cycling trails. Group golf outings will take place at various golf courses throughout King County such as Jefferson, Maplewood, Riverbend, and Foster. Group tennis outings will take place at various outdoor tennis courts throughout King County including Talbot Hill, Skyway Park, Seward Park, Gene Coulon Memorial Beach, Volunteer Park, and Lake Wilderness Park.

This project is part of Village Life Project’s larger initiative aimed at encouraging holistic health and wellbeing in youth, elders, and families from communities of color and other marginalized communities. The initiative’s other areas of focus encourage healthy eating, a love of learning, and support positive mental and emotional health. This larger initiative seeks to provide youth, elders, and their caregivers with the tools and knowledge necessary to appreciate and pursue healthy habits and behaviors in every area of their life. “We Outside” focuses on physical activity and movement to complement the healthy eating curriculum of the “Community Table” program and highlights habits that nurture lasting physical wellness.

 

This program will provide transportation to weekly group recreational activities, purchase and distribution of bicycles, bicycle helmets, and bicycle security locks, golf outings and lessons, and the purchase and distribution of tennis rackets, tennis balls, and tennis lessons. Each participant will be provided with a t-shirt and a hoodie with the “We Outside” graphic and recognition of King County Parks as a partner. King County Parks will also be recognized as a partner on all outreach and media mediums.

The broader project scope is to provide access to resources, education, support, and opportunity that will enable youth, elders, and families from communities that are socioeconomically disadvantaged, geographically isolated, and educationally disenfranchised to participate in activities that lead to a better quality of life.

The “We Outside” program addresses disparities through intentional planning, community involvement, and strategic partnerships. This is accomplished through community collaborations to determine activities that participants will enjoy and participate in as well as to identify community members skilled in the leadership and execution of program activities. The “We Outside” program provides and improves access to recreation, parks, and open spaces for people with disabilities and other underserved communities. The “We Outside” program engages community in outreach and planning around new or improved access to recreation, parks, and open/green spaces, in and for underserved communities, and encourages exercise and fitness, environmental stewardship, and nutrition and food justice.

The “We Outside” program nurtures and encourages regular physical exercise. Participants from low-income families and underserved and marginalized communities will enjoy improved health and reduced health disparities in underserved communities. This will also lead to the improvement of their community’s overall health and social wellbeing. The program will also improve access to recreational activities in King County Parks and open spaces for BIPOC youth, people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and other underserved communities.

100 youth participants will be encouraged to embrace the importance and value of good health and physical activity so that they adopt positive long-term health and wellness habits. “We Outside” will partner with parents, caregivers, community stakeholders, and youth to deliver a program and learning experience that positively impacts each participant and the larger community that they are a part of.

The “We Outside” project was identified, created, and driven by underserved communities who recognized the challenge of providing suitable outdoor recreational opportunities for BIPOC and underserved youth. These communities determined the need to establish ways to get youth off of devices like phones, video games, and tablets, which they were spending excessive amounts of time on, and find ways to help them develop a love for outside activities, with the goal of them establishing healthy physical activity behaviors and habits.