Recent BBTO Events

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago joins the Sierra Club to celebrate a three year partnership that has been inspiring youth to explore and protect the environment

Keynote speaker, Jerone Thadison energizes a room of BGCC participants, with details of his trip to Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

CHICAGO, IL – On May 27, 2008, Sierra Club's Building Bridges to the Outdoors (BBTO) project joined the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago (BGCC) to celebrate a three year partnership that has been providing underserved youth with opportunities to get outside. The event, "Pathway to the Outdoors, An Evening of Celebration," drew nearly one-hundred guests to the Park Hyatt Hotel in Chicago, the majority of them teenagers from the BGCC, for dinner, presentations and a photo slideshow.

Jerone Thadison, the evening's keynote, shared in detail some of his outdoor experiences with the BGCC and Sierra Club's BBTO project. Jerone, a BGCC alumnus who just completed his freshman year at Chicago State University, stressed the importance of taking care of the environment. Jerone recalled fondly his conservation work in a Cook County Forest Preserve where he pulled the invasive garlic mustard out of the ground to allow native species an opportunity to flourish. On a trip to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, he realized that factories along the shore were polluting Lake Michigan and contaminating fish with mercury. These experiences and more have helped shape Jerone's path. He proudly told the crowd that he just took a college course in Plant Biology and finished the semester with a 3.3 GPA. Jerone's speech concluded with wild applause and many teenagers from BGCC expressed excitement about future trips with the Sierra Club.

April Janney, Senior Vice President of the BGCC spoke to participants about the opportunities available to them through outdoor education and experiences.

The evening's program also included speeches from Ezohn Smith, Director of Teen Services at BGCC, April Janney, Senior Vice President of the BGCC, Martin LeBlanc, National Youth Education Director for the Sierra Club, and Jack Darin, Director of the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club. All speakers emphasized the importance of this unique partnership for personal development and the environment.

For their hard work in bringing this partnership to fruition, Angela Benke (absent) and Khari Humphries from the BGCC and Douglas Chien from the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club were recognized with awards. With Inner City Outings leader Colin Tysoe, Khari and Douglas got the students and their advisors pumped about adopting Forest Preserves.

Since 2005, over three hundred participants from the BGCC's Keystone and Torch leadership clubs enjoyed their first meaningful outdoor experience by spending a weekend at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore through the Sierra Club's BBTO project. At the Dunes, youth learn about the environment, explore the great outdoors, receive leadership training, and initiate and plan service-learning projects, events and activities in their local communities. This year more than forty Keystone participants are making a commitment to care for their local environment by adopting and tending to a Forest Preserve.

Washington Celebrates its Leadership on the No Child Left Inside Initiative

Richard Louv speaks with John Muir Elementary student Michelle Garcia about her encounter with a banana slug during her trip to IslandWood, which she attended through John Muir elementary family weekend at IslandWood, an example of the type of programming that will be made available through Washington State Park's No Child Left Inside Program.

OLYMPIA, WA – On March 4, 2008 over 70 leaders from Washington's No Child Left Inside Initiative gathered with Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder to celebrate the success of the LNCI program and discuss the importance of moving the initiative forward in 2008 and beyond. The evening program was sponsored by REI and the Sierra Club.

Louv, the evening's keynote, recognized Washington's leadership on the issue with the passage of HB1677, the No Child Left Inside Act in 2007, which allotted $1.5 million in state funding to create grants to boost outdoor education programs. State Parks Director Rex Derr spoke about the implementation of the No Child Left Inside program through the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission and the important role it will play in allowing Washington youth to spend more time outside. Over 235 groups applied for a combined $8.9 million in funds.

The evenings special guests were Denise Walker, Victoria and Michelle Garcia, Awnie Thompson and Marjorie Lammare, from John Muir Elementary in Seattle, a recipient of a Building Bridges to the Outdoors grant from the Sierra Club. Martin LeBlanc, Sierra Club's National Youth Education Director and the evening's moderator described John Muir Elementary as "an example of a successful program that integrates classroom learning with fun and relevant outdoor experiences for its students." He went on to explain that "funding for programs like NCLI is so crucial so that we can see more programs like John Muir Elementary and IslandWood outdoor school on Bainbridge Island, thrive and allow kids and young people to have experience a connection with nature." Studies have shown that outdoor experiences increase science test scores and boost self-esteem.

John Muir Elementary Principal Awnie Thompson (left) and 5th grade teacher Marjorie Lammare speak about the positive impacts they have seen on their students as a result of increased outdoor activities.

The evening's program also included words from REI CEO Sally Jewell and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson, two leaders on outdoor education in the state. Representative Dave Quall also spoke, expressing his desire to see the youth of Washington develop their respect and stewardship for their natural environment through increased contact with the out-of-doors. Representative Quall was the champion of the NCLI act and was instrumental in leading its passage through the legislature in 2007. Attendees at the event were in high spirits celebrating the leadership Washington has show on this issue, but also ready to continue their work to ensure that no Washington child is left inside.

Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish joins the Sierra Club and the Children and Nature Network in a call to Leave No New Mexico Child Inside

ALBUQUERQUE – On December 13, 2007, the Sierra Club's Building Bridges to the Outdoors and the Children & Nature Network hosted "Leave No Child Inside: An Evening with Richard Louv," a sold-out event at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.

The evening began with an Information Fair, where twenty-five exhibitors from a wide range of outdoor education and recreation programs showcased their outstanding work in helping to connect kids with the outdoors. Attendees had the opportunity to pick up literature, talk to program coordinators, and learn how they could get their children involved in these amazing programs.

The main event, attended by over 300 concerned New Mexicans, began with an introduction by Michael Casaus, Building Bridges to the Outdoors-New Mexico coordinator. Casaus spoke of his childhood memories in the out-of-doors and how it shaped his life. He also told the audience about the Leave No Child Inside (LNCI) Coalition in New Mexico, made up of over 40 organizations that have signed the Resolution Supporting Leaving No New Mexico Child Inside. Click here to find out who is a member of the Leave No New Mexico Child Inside Coalition.

The event was moderated by Dr. Cheryl Charles, President and CEO of the Children & Nature Network and also included remarks by Maya Quintana, a high school senior from Santo Domingo Pueblo who is a participant in the Santa Fe Mountain Center's Emergence Program. New Mexico Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish, was the evening's special guest. Denish is a leader in the LNCI movement in New Mexico and a strong supporter of the New Mexico Outdoor Classroom Program.

The keynote speaker for the evening was Richard Louv, best-selling author of "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder." Louv spoke about the pivotal role New Mexico plays in the national movement and inspired the audience with personal stories and advice on getting kids into the outdoors.

Positive energy ran high at the National Hispanic Cultural Center throughout the evening. New Mexico truly showcased its role as a state that is leading the way in reconnecting kids and young people with the outdoors.