"Oakland Goes Outdoors (OGO) is an organization that aids teachers in giving their students an opportunity to venture out in the wonders of nature. The programs they offer include camping, activities with a naturalist, white water rafting, kayaking, hiking, and more." -- Zara Quiter, Seventh Grade
Oakland Goes Outdoors (OGO) is an organization that aids teachers in giving their students an opportunity to venture out in the wonders of nature. The programs they offer include camping, activities with a naturalist, white water rafting, kayaking, hiking, and more. With 24 Oakland sites participating, OGO provides adult support on trips, leadership training, free gear from Bay Area Wilderness Training, and professional development opportunities. The 2023-2024 school year has over 120 teachers leading programs.
“The hope is that these experiences lead to a greater desire to interact with and explore nature,” the OGO leadership team said. Joya Myer is the OGO Administrative Assistant, Jessica Oya is the OGO Program Coordinator and Zotunde Morton is the OGO Elementary Specialist. “OGO has allowed Oakland students to experience the outdoors during school with their classmates, sometimes in ways they may not have already had the chance to. Through these outdoor adventures, students actively engage with their environment, learn about plants and animals, and learn how to become stewards of the earth.”
“Research continues to show how these outdoor experiences offer numerous social-emotional, health, and academic benefits, including improved attentiveness, reduced absenteeism, and better academic performance,” Kaitlin Levenstrong, the Executive Director of Oakland Goes Outdoors said. “Spending quality time outdoors at an early age also helps develop lifelong environmental stewardship.”
“The impact we are seeing on students includes their academic development through hands-on science learning, their social and emotional development through team activities, their personal development through practicing outdoor skills like hiking and camping, and their physical and health development through being in fresh air and open green spaces,” Levenstrong said.
“I think people underestimate the importance of exposure to outdoor activity. In Oakland, young people get few opportunities to go outdoors.” Mike Oz, OSA’s Executive Director said. “People here don’t realize that a few miles away is one of the most beautiful places in the world.”
Could OSA join the growing number of schools participating in OGO programs? “Unfortunately, we’re not expanding OGO schools for the 2024-25 school year,” the OGO staff members said.
OSA is making an effort to have more programs outdoors. There is an Affinity Camping Trip on April 24-26 open to students of color from grades 7-12. The vacant lot next to Henry J. Kaiser Memorial Park across the street was bought by OSA in April 2023 and OSA is planning to repurpose it into an outdoor place for students to eat lunch, have performances, and do sports.
OSA is also trying to start sports programs. “The goal is really to have two teams (middle school and high school) for the sports, and a cheer team, letting middle schoolers and high schoolers work together,” Kaylinn Gatlin said, the seventh grade representative for Student Council at OSA. “Not only will our school have amazingly talented students, but they’ll also be skilled in sports along with their arts.”
“The outdoor lot could be useful for a soccer team or basketball team but probably not enough room for a football team,” Gatlin said. “About 23 students are interested in joining a sports team and 15 students are interested in joining a cheerleading team.”
The OGO staff members said, “Our hope is to one day be working with every Oakland school!” So, OGO programs at OSA could be possible in the future.
“The hope is that these experiences lead to a greater desire to interact with and explore nature,” the OGO leadership team said. Joya Myer is the OGO Administrative Assistant, Jessica Oya is the OGO Program Coordinator and Zotunde Morton is the OGO Elementary Specialist. “OGO has allowed Oakland students to experience the outdoors during school with their classmates, sometimes in ways they may not have already had the chance to. Through these outdoor adventures, students actively engage with their environment, learn about plants and animals, and learn how to become stewards of the earth.”
“Research continues to show how these outdoor experiences offer numerous social-emotional, health, and academic benefits, including improved attentiveness, reduced absenteeism, and better academic performance,” Kaitlin Levenstrong, the Executive Director of Oakland Goes Outdoors said. “Spending quality time outdoors at an early age also helps develop lifelong environmental stewardship.”
“The impact we are seeing on students includes their academic development through hands-on science learning, their social and emotional development through team activities, their personal development through practicing outdoor skills like hiking and camping, and their physical and health development through being in fresh air and open green spaces,” Levenstrong said.
“I think people underestimate the importance of exposure to outdoor activity. In Oakland, young people get few opportunities to go outdoors.” Mike Oz, OSA’s Executive Director said. “People here don’t realize that a few miles away is one of the most beautiful places in the world.”
Could OSA join the growing number of schools participating in OGO programs? “Unfortunately, we’re not expanding OGO schools for the 2024-25 school year,” the OGO staff members said.
OSA is making an effort to have more programs outdoors. There is an Affinity Camping Trip on April 24-26 open to students of color from grades 7-12. The vacant lot next to Henry J. Kaiser Memorial Park across the street was bought by OSA in April 2023 and OSA is planning to repurpose it into an outdoor place for students to eat lunch, have performances, and do sports.
OSA is also trying to start sports programs. “The goal is really to have two teams (middle school and high school) for the sports, and a cheer team, letting middle schoolers and high schoolers work together,” Kaylinn Gatlin said, the seventh grade representative for Student Council at OSA. “Not only will our school have amazingly talented students, but they’ll also be skilled in sports along with their arts.”
“The outdoor lot could be useful for a soccer team or basketball team but probably not enough room for a football team,” Gatlin said. “About 23 students are interested in joining a sports team and 15 students are interested in joining a cheerleading team.”
The OGO staff members said, “Our hope is to one day be working with every Oakland school!” So, OGO programs at OSA could be possible in the future.
“I think with this generation it’s good to get more active and energetic since Covid had us sitting at home all day,” Nyla Hudson, a seventh grader at Montera Middle school and a participant in a rock climbing program funded by OGO said. “Some kids don’t get to [rock climb], and that’s really something special.”
“We’ve been going rock climbing. It's really fun because I get to learn more about rock climbing and it teaches me how to be more active. It’s a really fun program, I love it,” Aaliyah Barker-Clark, another seventh grader at Montera participating in that rock climbing program said. “I feel comfortable rock climbing. It feels like [Pacific Pipe is] a safe place for me to be able to rock climb and the people are really nice.”
“I can do more stuff outside of my comfort zone.” Barker-Clark said.
“We’ve observed an overall less stressful culture and climate among the students while participating in OGO programming,” the OGO staff members said. “Students typically walk away with new-found knowledge and interests.”
“We want our young people in Oakland to be able to enjoy these immense benefits and have the opportunity to increase their green time (over screen time!) throughout the school day and beyond during overnight trips,” Levenstrong said. “OGO trips allow kids a wide range of skills-building and learning opportunities - everything from curriculum and academic connections to building and deepening relationships with their classmates in a new environment.”
Just like Oz said, the most popular places that OGO programs go to are located in the Bay Area or near the Bay Area.
“It's truly amazing the parks and outdoor spaces we have proximity to here in Oakland - Oakland Parks and Recreation (OPR) manages over 140 parks and over 2,500 acres of open space within city limits, and the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) has over 125,000 acres of parks and 1,330 miles of trail within Alameda and Contra Costa counties,” Levenstrong said. “And just beyond those boundaries includes everything from the coastal redwoods of Muir Woods National Monument to the sandy beaches of Point Reyes National Seashore to the granite domes of Yosemite National Park. Oakland Goes Outdoors is working tirelessly to make it possible for all young people in our community to have all the resources necessary to access these incredible places and spaces.”
“We’ve observed students often in awe of the beauty of nature when looking at the ocean and waves, vistas and valleys on top of summits. Students are most often engaged in learning about different plants and animals, especially ones they see on trips,” the OGO staff members said. “Relationships are strengthened between students as they embark on a new and memorable experience together. The sight of fungi, insects, plants and wildlife seem to spark their curiosity of the unknown which can be heard in their questions and excitement.”
OGO’s partners include the Oakland Unified School District, Bay Area Wilderness Training, The San Francisco Foundation, Oakland Public Education Fund, and the Youth Transportation Organization.
The Youth Access To Nature Program (YAN) was founded by the San Francisco Foundation and in 2019, about four years after a large gift from the Riddell Family Fund, OUSD reached out to YAN in search of assistance in taking their students outdoors. OGO was founded in May 2019.
“We’ve been going rock climbing. It's really fun because I get to learn more about rock climbing and it teaches me how to be more active. It’s a really fun program, I love it,” Aaliyah Barker-Clark, another seventh grader at Montera participating in that rock climbing program said. “I feel comfortable rock climbing. It feels like [Pacific Pipe is] a safe place for me to be able to rock climb and the people are really nice.”
“I can do more stuff outside of my comfort zone.” Barker-Clark said.
“We’ve observed an overall less stressful culture and climate among the students while participating in OGO programming,” the OGO staff members said. “Students typically walk away with new-found knowledge and interests.”
“We want our young people in Oakland to be able to enjoy these immense benefits and have the opportunity to increase their green time (over screen time!) throughout the school day and beyond during overnight trips,” Levenstrong said. “OGO trips allow kids a wide range of skills-building and learning opportunities - everything from curriculum and academic connections to building and deepening relationships with their classmates in a new environment.”
Just like Oz said, the most popular places that OGO programs go to are located in the Bay Area or near the Bay Area.
“It's truly amazing the parks and outdoor spaces we have proximity to here in Oakland - Oakland Parks and Recreation (OPR) manages over 140 parks and over 2,500 acres of open space within city limits, and the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) has over 125,000 acres of parks and 1,330 miles of trail within Alameda and Contra Costa counties,” Levenstrong said. “And just beyond those boundaries includes everything from the coastal redwoods of Muir Woods National Monument to the sandy beaches of Point Reyes National Seashore to the granite domes of Yosemite National Park. Oakland Goes Outdoors is working tirelessly to make it possible for all young people in our community to have all the resources necessary to access these incredible places and spaces.”
“We’ve observed students often in awe of the beauty of nature when looking at the ocean and waves, vistas and valleys on top of summits. Students are most often engaged in learning about different plants and animals, especially ones they see on trips,” the OGO staff members said. “Relationships are strengthened between students as they embark on a new and memorable experience together. The sight of fungi, insects, plants and wildlife seem to spark their curiosity of the unknown which can be heard in their questions and excitement.”
OGO’s partners include the Oakland Unified School District, Bay Area Wilderness Training, The San Francisco Foundation, Oakland Public Education Fund, and the Youth Transportation Organization.
The Youth Access To Nature Program (YAN) was founded by the San Francisco Foundation and in 2019, about four years after a large gift from the Riddell Family Fund, OUSD reached out to YAN in search of assistance in taking their students outdoors. OGO was founded in May 2019.
