DATES and TIMES: July 14 at 9:30am – July 15 at 4:30pm
SUMMIT LOCATION: University of Texas, Austin; Thompson Conference Center
CAMPING LOCATION:McKinney Falls State Park

Hey Austin Outsiders!

We loved working with you all this summer.  If you haven’t already, check our photos from the summit on our Facebook page. 

 You voted, and we heard.  Here are the top issues that you think are keeping millenials indoors:

• Need to make the outdoors a "cool" and safe environment through education programs for youth (and engaging adults in these programs!)
• Need to reinvent our perception of nature to make it fun and engaging, and changing our lifestyles accordingly
• Need to educate people from a very young age and instill in them a sense of responsibility and stewardship
• Need to create more outdoor educational opportunities with developed activities or curriculum (from parents, teachers, community volunteers, mentors, etc.) 
• Need to make people more aware of the benefits of the outdoors and the resources that are available
• Need to create more community partnerships and alliances between like-minded organizations that are focused on getting people outdoors

 Thanks to all your hard work, here are the projects that received funding:

• North Texas Kids Outside - A program to take families from communities int he Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex to regional parks for a 2-day, 1-night adventure in partnership with the Texas Parks and Wildlife's "Texas Outdoor Family" program.
• Build a Bike for Conservation (10 Kids, 10 Days, 10 Ways to get Outside)- A project that involves biking from Pittsburgh to DC, all whiel promoting and demonstrating how kids can get outdoors and promote conservation.
• COOL - Changing Our Outdoor Lifestyle - A Project to bring back the "cool" in the outdoors through grassroots mobilizations and an organized marketing campaign in Austin -- the Austin Outdoors Street Team.
• Occupy Outdoors - A project to promote civic and environmental awareness while capitalizing on the energy of flash mobs and the passion associated with the Occupy movement.
• Nature's Art Project of Houston - Inspired by the motto "from bleak to beautiful," this project will organize trash pick-up days in Houston neighborhoods with youth volunteers and then create sustainable art to promote education and conservation.
• Green BaYou - Expanding environmental education opportunities by bringing together community leaders to educate and empower students so they have the tools and support to create their own outdoor spaces.
• Growing La Vida - Empowering low-income families in Austin to feed themselves by providing them the means and education (including Spanish language resources) to grow their own outdoor spaces.
• Warriors of the Wild -  A program that involves college students presenting shows to schools in the Houston area that promote environmental conservation activities.

Be sure to make an account on the Outdoor Nation website and join the Austin 2012 summit club to stay connected with your fellow outsiders. 

 Also, check out our grants page for info on how to receive more funding for your project ideas!

Questions?

Want more general information about the Summits? Check out the Summit FAQs or scope out the 2011 Summit and 2010 Summit pages to get a feel for what the Summits are all about. Still have questions? Email us.

Presenting Sponsors

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• Last but not least, big thanks to Go! Calendars for sponsoring the McKinney Falls State Park camp-out!

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