These Thurston County outdoor youth programs scored thousands of dollars in grants
Six outdoor youth programs in Thurston County have been awarded grants totaling $365,964, Gov. Jay Inslee announced last week.
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission awarded the grants through the No Child Left Inside program. In all, $4.5 million in grants have been awarded throughout the state to help expand outdoor education and recreation opportunities for under-resourced communities, according to a state news release.
Across the state, these grants will help more than 50,000 kids spend time outdoors doing a variety of activities such as camping, hiking and kayaking, per the release. In a prepared statement, Inslee said he felt proud to facilitate these grants because they promote the health and well-being of children.
“We know that when kids spend time outside, they learn more, experience less stress, get more exercise and improve their social skills,” Inslee said. “That is especially important this year because the pandemic disrupted so many of their normal activities. These grants will make it easier for many kids to spend time in Washington’s great outdoors.”
The No Child Left Inside grant program has been active for five years with funding from the state general fund. The amount awarded this year is the most ever awarded through this program, according to the release.
State Parks director Peter Mayer said he hopes the grants will help create a positive future for under-served kids.
“Kids need to get outside — for their physical, mental and spiritual health,” Mayer said in the release. “These grants help level the playing field by providing opportunities for so many who otherwise don’t have a way to experience the outdoors.”
The program drew 117 proposals that collectively requested $6.8 million, per the release, meaning just 63% of applicants were awarded funding this cycle. During the last biennium, the release says funding only covered 16% of projects.
The legislature approved the increased funding appropriation with key support from state Sen. Christine Rolfes, D-Bainbridge Island, according to the release.
“This funding couldn’t come at a better time,” Rolfes said in the release. “With things beginning to open up, these grants will enable new opportunities for so many kids all across our state. They deserve to have a good summer. It’s wonderful to have this level of commitment from the Legislature.”
Most recipients must match at least 25% of state grants unless they need less than $25,000 for each project, according to the program website.
Here are the recipients in Thurston County:
- Garden-Raised Bounty (GRuB), an Olympia based non-profit, will use a $140,000 grant to expand its outdoor youth farm and garden programming. The non-profit will contribute $216,400 in cash donations, a local grant and a private grant.
- Nisqually River Foundation will use a $95,638 grant to support a Nisqually Tribal youth outdoor education program. The foundation will contribute $52,927 in staff labor and donations of equipment, labor and materials.
- Puget Sound Estuarium will use a $54,626 grant to provide four field trips for more than a thousand kids in K-12 schools across Mason and Thurston counties. The non-profit will contribute $18,600 from a private grant and donations of equipment and labor.
- Wa-Ya Outdoor Institute, a summer camp, will use a $24,700 grant to support its camp activities and provide scholarships for low-income kids.
- Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will use a $25,000 grant to create a paddle safety program for 960 kids ages 11-14. State Parks will contribute $42,420 in a state appropriation and donated labor.
- Wild Grief, an Olympia based non-profit, will use a $25,000 grant to maintain and expand its outdoor support programming for grieving youth. The non-profit will contribute $40,302 in a private grant and donated cash.
