These monthly skills sharing sessions are a safe and learning space where network members and guests share areas of expertise and personal experiences in the intersections of outdoor programs and access (or lack there of) with the rest of the network, through both storytelling and structured presentations.

These monthly skills sharing sessions are a safe and learning space where network members and guests share areas of expertise and personal experiences in the intersections of outdoor programs and access (or lack there of) with the rest of the network, through both storytelling and structured presentations.

This month we welcome Suzy Gonzalez to share with us about the intense fires that southern California faced at the end of 2024, and how she supported her community efforts through the Healthy Footprints Adventure Community gear library. Come hear her story surrounding community support, community organizing, and the importance of it all.

Join this conversation surrounding the intersection of affinity spaces, healing, and safety, and the importance and impact it has in our communities. Mimi Madrid, Executive Director of Fortaleza Familiar will be leading this conversation.

Next week, we will be joined by Parker McMullen Bushman, CEO of Ecoinclusive Strategies. Parker will lead a conversation regarding DEIJBA (diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, belonging, and accessibility) leadership and other services that Ecoinclusive offers.

Join Andrea Kurth (she/her), as she leads a conversation surrounding workplace advocacy. Andrea will be talking with us about advocating and ensuring that we are given sufficient resources to do our job, and setting boundaries when those resources are not available.

This conversation is solely for OEN Member Organizations, we ask that you don't share with those outside of your immediate teams. Additionally, we will not be recording this session. We will, however, share out any and all written resources from the session.

The session will be lead by Matt Smith from Outdoor Outreach, and it will center around what OO has learned and developed so far about immigration enforcement and how it impacts programs and operations.

There's been a lot of interest from existing members, potential members, and others for OEN to really dive into our framework for change. Many of you have seen the OEN Tree. This is an opportunity to learn how we go about this work, to help your team better understand how OEN can support their work, and what resources are available through OEN and its members. We encourage you to invite folks outside of your own organization, who you believe would benefit from this conversation.

Please join us next Tuesday, January 28th @ 11am PST/2pm EST , as we welcome Craig Flax from Yoots. Craig founded Yoots in 2017 after talking with a friend about the national Kids in a Park Program, which provides free entry to National Parks for 4th graders. The program's key equality issue is the lack of transportation to parks, keeping tens of thousands of youth from participating in the program each year. Yoots aims to eliminate transportation as a barrier to equity for underserved youth.

This conversation will invite you to discuss and share your program's transportation issues, and learn if Yoots might be an option to help. Craig will also happily share what Yoots is currently working on to help us understand what their work includes.