Have you heard the news? Youth Outside is now Justice Outside! We’re overjoyed to share our new name with our supporters near and far!
“Justice Outside” elevates our ultimate mission of advancing racial justice and equity in the outdoor and environmental movement. Bold, clear, and forthright, our new name tells the world exactly who we are, highlighting the work we’ve been doing for years to center the voices and leadership of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color who are building a more inclusive future for the movement.
We’ve long prioritized youth access to nature and meaningful engagement in the outdoors, all the while working to honor that youth don’t exist in a vacuum, and that to support them we must support their larger communities. Because we work with people of all ages towards increased access and engagement, the Youth Outside name has proven increasingly confusing for grantees, partners, potential funders, and participants in our programs. While engaged in a months-long strategic refresh process last year, it became clear to us that our name wasn’t telling a full enough story about our work, and that we needed to better explain who we are and what we do.
We chose to put the word “justice” front and center because promoting racial justice guides all aspects of our work. Everything we do — career pathway development, grantmaking, capacity building, and organizational training and support — forms one part of our larger goal: By providing individuals, institutions, and communities with resources, training, and space to lead, we are intentionally working to dismantle systemic injustices and build a stronger environmental movement for current and future generations.
We kept the word “outside” in our new name because our work remains rooted in transforming the outdoor sector and in an understanding that the environment is integral to people’s well-being. From healing to exploration, from community-building to self-discovery, we are working hard to protect this connection and ensure that everyone has access to it, especially communities of color, who the outdoor field has too often overlooked and undervalued.
While our name may be changing, our logo is not. For us, the rock cairn, used by cultures around the world, represents the rich history of connection that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color have with the outdoors, and the leadership of our communities in guiding the way towards a more just and sustainable future. Similar to the use of cairns marking a trail, we hope that our logo further solidifies Justice Outside as leading the outdoor movement on the path to transformative change with awareness, intentionality, and resolve.
At this pivotal moment in the outdoor movement’s history — as more and more organizations recognize the importance of fostering racially equitable cultures and programming, and the environmental work of historically marginalized groups gains overdue recognition and support — we couldn’t be more excited to announce our new name! With this announcement, we redouble our efforts to remove the barriers that have historically prevented communities of color from accessing relevant experiences in nature and professional opportunities in the outdoor sector. We simultaneously celebrate the crucial contributions of communities of color to fostering safety, health, and abundant joy through meaningful relationships with one another and the outdoors.
And, as we mark this momentous transition, we invite you to join us on the journey towards Justice Outside!