OUTSIDE LAS VEGAS FOUNDATION

It is our mission and vision to connect Nevadans and visitors from all backgrounds and ages to the state’s diverse outdoor places through education, service, and community engagement. Many of our efforts and programs focus on the needs and lives of families and school children, especially those who are at-risk and often have limited opportunity to experience the great outdoors.
• We empower residents and visitors alike by promoting options for healthy and happy lifestyles
through outdoor adventures.
• We provide life-long learning S.T.E.A.M. programs for young children and older students that
inspire studying the outdoors.
• We offer meaningful volunteering opportunities that encourage stewardship of our natural
landscapes, local parks, and urban trails.
• We create valuable stakeholder partnerships and consistently build positive relationships with
foundations, businesses, government bodies, and other community groups that value Nevada’s
treasured outdoors

Our education programs provide student learners with an increased understanding of the unique aspects of Nevada's outdoor landscapes through: Engaging, exciting programs that enrich children’s lives by providing experiential learning opportunities; Sound scientific information that inspires a lifelong respect for the outdoors; Skills for critical thinking and strategic problem solving.

Our service programs provide turn-key volunteer opportunities to group ranging from 5 to 500 in parks and on trails throughout our region. These programs allow people to directly give back to the great outdoor resources that make our area so wonderful.

Our community engagement programs provide platforms for creating community connections. Partnerships and collaborations are key elements for our organization. As a result, a focal point for any of our community engagement work is to activate partnerships and strengthen connections.

Our education program supports youth through: (1) Micro grant programs. Grants provided by generous supporters are extended in their impact through a program carried out in coordination with the Clark County School District (CCSD) and non-profit partners; (2) Next Generation Science Standard Program - this program operates in eight CCSD schools. For 2 weeks, students receive grade-level designed curriculum that integrates the outdoors with the learning needs. Programs culminate in and outdoor field trip that allows students to see their lessons in nature; (3) Our staff coordinate volunteer programs for groups ranging from 5 to 300. These programs involve trash, weed and graffiti removal at local parks and trails and all events involve an educational component.

Our Service opportunities connect visitors and the community with the over 1000 miles of trails and thousands of acres of parks in our area. Our organization creates opportunities for cleanups and beautification. Our staff coordinate these programs to ensure that volunteer groups have a great experience from start to finish.

In 2012, Get Outdoors Nevada (GON) created education and volunteer programs designed to connect our community to the outdoors. It's been exciting to watch these programs grow in the past seven years. The team at GON is so proud of what we have been able to achieve with the support of our community. In 2019, GON partnered with local jurisdictions and public land management agencies to provide 122 outdoor service events for residents, community groups, and businesses generating over 10,000 volunteer hours. Since the beginning of our service programs, GON has led 492 volunteer events with almost 17,000 people donating 42,079 hours of volunteer support for our community valued at $1,070,063.

GON education programs focus primarily on youth, with approximately 83 percent of those served through our education program considered at-risk or underserved. In 2019, 606 education programs introduced over 15,000 young people and community members to Nevada’s outdoors. 72 outreach and tabling events reached 45,000 people, and our microgrant program supported 96 buses that brought over 4,579 youth (in some cases with their families) to the outdoors. Since 2012, GON has provided programs for 2,691 education programs
for 122,734 youth, and supported 636 bus trips transporting 26,576 participants to outdoor classrooms and informal education sites throughout Clark County.

In 2019, GON served as the home for the Nevada Outdoor Business Coalition (NVOBC) as the group played a critical role in establishing the Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation and voiced its support for important programs such as the Land and Water Conservation Fund. GON assists the City of Las Vegas with the Las Vegas Community Healing Garden. In 2019, we partnered with the University of Nevada at Las Vegas to publish Healing Las Vegas. This book chronicles the project of hope that bloomed after the October 1, 2017 tragedy, when a lone gunman ended 58 lives and changed so many forever. The Garden reminds us that nature and the outdoors are a critical part of the human
experience connecting us to a deeper part of ourselves and to each other.

Our organization is also honored to be the non-profit partner for Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Our partnership supports education and safety programs and connects our community to the impactful experiences offered at this extremely diverse park. In 2019, the John C. Kish Foundation recognized the unique role of Lake Mead by supporting diving programs for veterans, and provided funds to GON to
facilitate these healing opportunities.

Thank you so much to everyone who helped GON connect our community