Youth Community Access
Meet ME Outdoors expands access to outdoor recreation and cultural experiences for youth and families in the Mountain Empire region of East County San Diego. Built on the foundation of the Institute for Public Strategies’ Youth Community Access work, the program removes barriers that have historically limited rural communities’ access to parks, public lands, and cultural spaces.
Designed for youth and families from geographically isolated and under-resourced communities, Meet ME Outdoors creates welcoming, fully supported opportunities for experiencing nature as a place of connection, healing, and belonging. Through repeated and meaningful outdoor experiences, participants build confidence, familiarity, and lasting relationships with the outdoors.
Youth voice and community input guide every aspect of the program. Activities reflect participants’ interests, cultural identities, and lived experiences, while trained staff and community partners lead outdoor recreation, cultural learning, and place-based education that promotes leadership, environmental awareness, and personal growth.
Health and wellness are woven throughout the program by encouraging physical activity, promoting mental well-being, reducing stress, and developing healthy coping skills through time spent in nature. Participants also explore environmental justice, local history, and Indigenous connections to land, deepening respect for place and strengthening community identity.
To ensure equitable access, Meet ME Outdoors provides transportation, meals, equipment, and all activity costs at no charge. Programming is trauma-informed and culturally responsive, supporting both first-time participants and families returning to outdoor spaces with growing confidence.
Through partnerships with schools, community organizations, and public land agencies, Meet ME Outdoors helps youth and families build lifelong connections to parks and open spaces—supporting healthier lifestyles, stronger community bonds, and long-term stewardship of California’s natural and cultural resources.
