{"id":19102,"date":"2017-08-23T03:00:58","date_gmt":"2017-08-23T10:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=19102"},"modified":"2020-06-12T10:23:20","modified_gmt":"2020-06-12T17:23:20","slug":"force-of-nature-fund","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/stewardship\/force-of-nature-fund","title":{"rendered":"REI Announces Force of Nature Fund Recipients"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"cb-itemprop\" itemprop=\"reviewBody\"><p>This year, we launched <a href=\"\/blog\/news\/force-of-nature-lets-level-the-playing-field\">Force of Nature<\/a>, an expansive public effort to create more opportunities for women and girls to enjoy the wild. Our goal: Make the outdoors the world\u2019s largest level playing field.<\/p>\n<p>But we can\u2019t do it alone. So, in 2017, we pledged to invest more than $1 million in organizations that ensure women are equally inspired and equipped to embrace a life outside. About $500,000 has been invested in our current partners, <a href=\"https:\/\/camberoutdoors.org\/\">Camber Outdoors<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.girltrek.org\/\">GirlTrek<\/a> and the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ymcaleadership.com\/gold\/\">YMCA\u2019s GOLD initiative<\/a>. Through our Force of Nature fund, another $500,000 will support 26 more organizations that applied through the co-op\u2019s first open grant call. With this fund, we looked for innovative programs that utilized the outdoors to empower and inspire women and girls.<\/p>\n<p>After receiving 560 applications, we are thrilled to announce <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/newsroom\/article\/rei-co-op-announces-force-nature-fund-grantees-completes-1m-investment-this-year-in-nonprofits-that-connect-women-with-outdoors\">the 26 Force of Nature Fund grant recipients<\/a>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/americanwomenveterans.org\/home\/\">American Women Veterans Foundation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aztrail.org\/\">Arizona Trail Association<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bigcitymountaineers.org\/\">Big City Mountaineers<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/castingforrecovery.org\/\">Casting for Recovery<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/citykidsdc.org\/\">City Kids Wilderness Project<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/cyclesforchange.org\/\">Cycles for Change<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.etctrips.org\/\">Environmental Traveling Companions<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/exploreaustin.org\/\">Explore Austin<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.girlsincofchatt.org\/\">Girls Inc. of Chattanooga<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/girlsincofsantafe.org\/\">Girls Inc. of Santa Fe<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/girlsleadership.org\/\">Girls Leadership<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.duke.edu\/gals\/\">Girls on outdoor Adventure for Leadership and Science (GALS)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/hikeitbaby.com\/\">Hike it Baby<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.clearwater.org\/\">Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.iceagetrail.org\/\">Ice Age Trail Alliance<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/insightgardenprogram.org\/\">Insight Garden Program<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.inspiringgirls.org\/\">Inspiring Girls Expedition<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/communityin.org\/project\/latino-outdoors\/\">Latino Outdoors \u2013 Community Initiatives<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npca.org\/\">National Parks Conservation Association<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.outdoorwomensalliance.com\/\">Outdoor Women&#8217;s Alliance<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.recreationnorthwest.org\/\">Recreation Northwest<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/rockingtheboat.org\/\">Rocking the Boat<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.shejumps.org\/\">SheJumps<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.skatelikeagirl.com\/\">Skate Like a Girl<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.westtownbikes.org\/\">West Town Bikes<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/youngwomenempowered.org\/\">Young Women Empowered<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>To get a flavor for the innovative work that is being done, we dove more deeply into four of the organizations.<\/p>\n<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/latinooutdoors.org\"><strong>Latino Outdoors<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-article_body wp-image-19449\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/20861756_774363362745638_6499466281506873735_o.jpg?resize=1024%2C683\" alt=\"Latino Outdoors\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Latino Outdoors is a one-of-a-kind Latinx-led and Latinx-serving organization that seeks to connect Latinx communities with the outdoors and bring their perspective into the wilderness narrative. As a regional coordinator, Chela Garcia has been at the helm of establishing the Latino Outdoors chapter in Colorado for the last year and half. \u201cI love the position I\u2019m in because I meet amazing people in the outdoor recreation industry, and I\u2019m connecting my community to experiences they\u2019ve never had or never had the opportunity to explore,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Originally a Facebook group, Latino Outdoors was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/run\/growing-in-the-wilderness\">founded in 2013<\/a>\u00a0and quickly found a loyal following across the nation. Chela isn\u2019t surprised. She told us Latinx going outdoors is \u201cnot something new\u2014our community has a history of being connected to nature and the outdoors. We\u2019re expanding upon that and making it a deeper connection.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>REI\u2019s $25,000 grant will help support the Latina leadership of their nationwide initiative, Estamos Aqu\u00ed\u2014Expanding Latinx Leadership in the Outdoor Field for Broader Conservation Equity and Inclusion. This program will introduce more girls and women, through a family support structure, to new and ongoing outdoor experiences.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think it\u2019s important to get more Latinos outdoors because one, our presence isn\u2019t recognized in the U.S. And two, it is really important to make the connection between motherhood and sisterhood and nature and the outdoors. To tell that story is really important\u2014and Latino Outdoors does that really well,\u201d Chela said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to be one of the largest demographics in the U.S. By inspiring more mothers and daughters into the outdoors and connecting with nature, we are inspiring future generations to love and protect our earth and also to connect with our ancestors, history and cultura.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Get involved! Chela told us it is easy to join the effort: \u201cIf you self-identify as Latino and you\u2019re connected to the outdoors, become a role model and volunteer. If you\u2019re an ally, talk to your friends, families and networks about the importance of diversity in nature and the outdoors.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4><a href=\"http:\/\/rockingtheboat.org\/\"><strong>Rocking the Boat<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n<div id=\"attachment_19455\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19455\" class=\"wp-image-19455 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/15696631516_8af1498ce3_o.jpg?w=1024&#038;resize=1024%2C678\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"678\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-19455\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo courtesy of Rocking the Boat director of communications Joaquin Cotten<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Young people are innate dreamers. And the dreams kindled in youth have the power to propel a person through their life. Rocking the Boat believes showing young people they can do extraordinary things helps them realize their dreams are extraordinary <em>and<\/em> attainable.<\/p>\n<p>Established in 1996 as a volunteer boat-building project in an East Harlem junior high school, Rocking the Boat has grown dramatically over the years. From wooden boatbuilding, it expanded to rowing and sailing lessons, and now, to restoring local urban waterways. In 2017 alone, it has served 1,300 youth and counting. That\u2019s 1,300 more people who feel personally invested in the ecological health of their own community.<\/p>\n<p>With a $25,000 Force of Nature grant, Rocking the Boat will support their Girls Education and Leadership Program. It offers middle school-aged girls from the Hunts Point section of the Bronx\u2014the poorest U.S. zip code east of the Mississippi\u2014a dynamic outdoor environmental education. The program takes young women out in boats that their peers have crafted and cared for. The vast majority have never been on a boat, but by the end of the year-long program, they\u2019ll feel comfortable captaining one on their own. They\u2019ll learn about water quality and the history of the Bronx River, and experience hands-on research projects.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt the end of the program, you\u2019ll see them feel a responsibility to the river. They\u2019ll have the courage to tell people what they learned,\u201d said Assistant Director of Public Programs Jasmine Benitez. She knows this firsthand\u2014her first exposure to Rocking the Boat was as a participant in 2009.<\/p>\n<p>And the successes speak for themselves. Many Rocking the Boat alumni now work for city parks agencies, teaching youth about the environment. \u201cWe gain passion and ownership and responsibility and we want to spread this knowledge,\u201d Jasmine said. In fact, that is just what keeps her coming back.<\/p>\n<p>Get involved by joining the community. There are free family-friendly boat rides, youth classes and plenty of volunteer opportunities.<\/p>\n<h4><a href=\"http:\/\/www.westtownbikes.org\/\"><strong>West Town Bikes<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-article_body wp-image-19451\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/IMG_2676.jpg?resize=1024%2C1365\" alt=\"West Town Bikes\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1365\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We all know the adage about teaching a man to fish. But have you heard the one about teaching a girl to build a bike? We didn\u2019t think so. That\u2019s where West Town Bikes steps in. Its mission is simple: Promote bicycling in the city of Chicago. Why? For young people in urban areas, it can be hard to see beyond the few blocks that encompass a neighborhood. But sometimes all it takes to break out is a bike.<\/p>\n<p>Every Wednesday, West Town Bikes opens its doors to girls and women. The $10,000 Force of Nature grant will support Girls Bike Club (GBC), a drop-in program open to all girls and young women in the community. Here, the youth set the agenda\u2014which includes maintaining and repairing their bikes, volunteering to earn parts to build a bike of their own, riding together to local parks, and touring and cyclocross racing far beyond city limits. The program grew out of the need for girls to have a non-threating space where they are comfortable exploring male-dominated interests\u2014like mechanics and cycling.<\/p>\n<p>Ulana Coutts has been a part of West Town Bikes since she was 13 and has been a member of every single program it offers. Today, she\u2019s a mechanic in the organization\u2019s public-serving bike shop, as well as a leader for the GBC and Women and Trans Night. Her passion for the mission is palpable.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur youth are impacting real world issues in a very real way. You\u2019re given the responsibility to make decisions that are serious and important. That\u2019s why people who come out of the program do awesome things, like drawing up bike paths or making videos to raise awareness,\u201d Ulana said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnyone who feels intimidated by spaces that are predominantly male can come here. Just walking through the door is empowering. You\u2019re going to fix something yourself,\u201d Ulana said. \u00a0\u201cYou can walk into whatever kind of male-dominated space you were afraid of before. You can do anything. That\u2019s the kind of empowerment and confidence the girls instill in themselves by walking in and wanting to learn how to hold tools. We just provided the space.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Get involved by dropping in, donating or volunteering your time.<\/p>\n<h4><a href=\"http:\/\/insightgardenprogram.org\/\"><strong>Insight Garden Program<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n<div id=\"attachment_19450\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19450\" class=\"size-article_body wp-image-19450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/garden-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C821\" alt=\"Insight Garden Program\" width=\"1024\" height=\"821\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-19450\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: San Quentin Rose, courtesy of CDCR<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Transforming lives through gardening? If you\u2019ve planted or pruned, you know it\u2019s true. And that\u2019s just what Insight Garden Program has proven, year after year. The Berkeley-based organization empowers people in prison to create gardens and supports them with green jobs when they leave. In turn, the organization says participants have a less than 10 percent re-offend rate, compared to the national average of greater than 55 percent.<\/p>\n<p>Founded as a volunteer organization in 2002, the Insight Garden Program seeks to transform lives by connecting self, community and the natural world. Participants co-design their own garden and build it from scratch. And it\u2019s not just gardening. This 48-week program teaches everything from our impact on global climate change to meditation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe want to end cycles of mass incarceration. 90 percent of people who are in prison will leave at some point\u2014we want to provide them with what they need when they come out. We\u2019re a re-entry bridge,\u201d director Beth Waitkus said.<\/p>\n<p>The $25,000 Force of Nature Fund grant will allow Insight Garden Program to create gardens in two women\u2019s prisons, Central California Women\u2019s Facility and Folsom Women\u2019s Facility\u2014it\u2019s a first for the program. Many of the women in these two prisons have been requesting a garden for years\u201417 years in one woman\u2019s case.<\/p>\n<p>California prisons have been moving from a punishment mindset to one of healing, Beth told us. She says this program helps make that shift.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen building a garden and planting, we are using nature as a metaphor. It\u2019s healing in an environment that is incredibly tough and oppressive, programs director Amanda Berger said.<\/p>\n<p>How can you help? Just head to <a href=\"http:\/\/insightgardenprogram.org\/get-involved\/\">this page<\/a> to learn about fundraising, getting the word out or sign up to be considered as an in-person volunteer.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>We are honored to support the work of these organizations as they make a real impact on the outdoor lives of girls and women. Stay tuned\u2014if there are opportunities to apply for a Force of Nature Fund grant in the future, it will be announced in 2018.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>In the coming weeks, we\u2019ll continue to spotlight the great work being done by the Force of Nature Fund recipients. Check back for more stories on the Co-op Journal. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This year, we launched Force of Nature, an expansive public effort to create more opportunities for women and girls to enjoy the wild. Our goal: Make the outdoors the world\u2019s largest level playing field. But we can\u2019t do it alone. So, in 2017, we pledged to invest more than $1 million in organizations that ensure [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":19454,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[637],"tags":[288,726,424,480],"internal-tag":[],"class_list":["post-19102","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stewardship","tag-featured","tag-force-of-nature","tag-rei-stewardship","tag-stewardship"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/stewardship\/force-of-nature-fund","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"REI Announces Force of Nature Fund Recipients","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/stewardship\/force-of-nature-fund","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/stewardship\/force-of-nature-fund"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/Content_020217_0113.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/Content_020217_0113.jpg?fit=1500%2C900"},"articleSection":"Stewardship","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Aer Parris-Hoshour"}],"creator":["Aer Parris-Hoshour"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["featured","force of nature","philanthropy","stewardship"],"dateCreated":"2017-08-23T10:00:58Z","datePublished":"2017-08-23T10:00:58Z","dateModified":"2020-06-12T17:23:20Z"},"rendered":"<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"wp-parsely-metadata\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"headline\":\"REI Announces Force of Nature Fund Recipients\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.rei.com\\\/blog\\\/stewardship\\\/force-of-nature-fund\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.rei.com\\\/blog\\\/stewardship\\\/force-of-nature-fund\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rei.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2017\\\/08\\\/Content_020217_0113.jpg?resize=150%2C150\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rei.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2017\\\/08\\\/Content_020217_0113.jpg?fit=1500%2C900\"},\"articleSection\":\"Stewardship\",\"author\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Aer Parris-Hoshour\"}],\"creator\":[\"Aer Parris-Hoshour\"],\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"Uncommon Path \\u2013 An REI Co-op Publication\",\"logo\":\"\"},\"keywords\":[\"featured\",\"force of nature\",\"philanthropy\",\"stewardship\"],\"dateCreated\":\"2017-08-23T10:00:58Z\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-08-23T10:00:58Z\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-06-12T17:23:20Z\"}<\/script>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/rei.com\/p.js"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/Content_020217_0113.jpg?fit=1500%2C900","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19102","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19102"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19102\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":160354,"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19102\/revisions\/160354"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19454"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19102"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19102"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19102"},{"taxonomy":"internal-tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-tag?post=19102"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}