For Immediate Release:
February 24, 2016
Contact: Jackie Ostfeld; 202-548-6584; Jackie.Ostfeld@sierraclub.org
Alliance for Childhood and Latino Outdoors join leadership of the Outdoors Alliance for Kids
Washington, DC– The Outdoors Alliance for Kids today announced two new steering committee members, Linda Rhoads of the Alliance for Childhood and Jose Gonzalez of Latino Outdoors. Each brings a new, fresh and welcome perspective to this growing national partnership to connect children, youth and families with the outdoors.
“I am excited to join the OAK steering committee as we collectively work on closing the nature equity gap and improving outdoor access for all,” said Jose Gonzalez, Latino Outdoors Founder. “The outdoors, nature, and open space are essential to all communities for health, wellness, recreation, and to be a platform where a community is welcome and feels included and empowered to care for and be cared for in our parks and all our public lands.”
Through Latino Outdoors, Gonzalez is working to create a national community of Latino leaders in conservation and outdoor education.
“Such a wonderful honor to serve this diverse and broad reaching network leading the advancement of policy solutions toward equitable access for all kids to have outdoor experiences that support their healthy emotional, social, physical, and cognitive development,” said Linda Rhoads, Alliance for Childhood Executive Director. “It’s a privilege to bring a voice on behalf of children everywhere for unstructured outdoor play to this critical policy work.”
The Alliance for Childhood promotes policies and practices that support children’s healthy development, love of learning, and joy in living.
“OAK is honored to welcome both Linda and Jose onto our steering committee. Ensuring our youngest children have opportunities to play outdoors is critical to our broader mission and we are glad to have this early childhood perspective among our leadership with the Alliance for Childhood,” says Jackie Ostfeld, Outdoors Alliance for Kids co-founder and steering committee chair. “Jose is also a strong leader in this field and an active advocate for the Latino experience in the outdoors, providing an important perspective on OAK’s steering committee.”
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About the Outdoors Alliance for Kids (OAK): OAK is a national strategic partnership of organizations from diverse sectors with a common interest in connecting children, youth and families with the outdoors. The members of OAK are brought together by the belief that the wellness of current and future generations, the health of our planet and communities and the economy of the future depend on humans having a personal, direct and life-long relationship with nature and the outdoors. OAK brings together more than eighty businesses and organizations, led by a steering committee which includes representatives from the Alliance for Childhood, American Heart Association, Children & Nature Network, Latino Outdoors, National Recreation and Park Association, National Wildlife Federation, The North Face, Public Lands Service Coalition (a program of The Corps Network), REI, Sierra Club, The Wilderness Society and the YMCA of the USA to address the growing divide between children, youth and the natural world. For more information: www.outdoorsallianceforkids.org
Outdoors Alliance for Kids 