OLYMPIA, Wash.- 92 projects across the state will be getting $6.7 million to expand outdoor recreation and education opportunities for underserved youth, including some organizations in Franklin, Walla Walla and Yakima Counties.
The No Child Left Inside (NCLI) program is awarded by the Washington state Parks and Recreation Commission. A full list of grant recipients is available online.
“The world comes to Washington to experience our natural wonders, but some who live and grow here face barriers to accessing these local treasures not far from home,” Gov. Jay Inslee said.
Grant funding will support more than 47,000 kids, aged 5 to 18 and provide 1.8 million hours of vital time in nature according to a State Parks press release.
“This program provides an invaluable resource to young people – access to nature,” Parks Director Diana Dupuis said. “We’re thrilled to be able to support formative outdoor experiences for more kids and in all corners of our state.”
Local grant recipients:
Franklin County: $25,000 awarded to Pasco for a Summer Outdoor Adventure Series. City of Pasco will use this grant to provide summer outdoor adventures for twenty-four youth. The program will take kids on three adventures: fishing with certified fishing guides, a trip to Sacajawea State Park to work with park staff to complete the Junior Ranger Program, and a trip to the YMCA’s Camp Dudley to participate in a planned adventure week.Walla Walla County: $118,430 awarded to the Blue Mountain Land Trust for a Free Nature Kids Program This program offers free outdoor programming, immersing more than 1,250 youth, ages four to eleven, in more than 35 hours of outdoor learning in rural southeast Washington during three years.Yakima County: $150,000 awarded to Explore Your Wild for Youth Programs. Explore Your Wild will use this grant to offer twenty field trips to 210 youth in Yakima County during two years.
