Outdoor Diversity Alliance and Outdoor Recreation Roundtable Launch New Outdoor Pathway Scholarship Program

February 28, 2024

Students from underrepresented communities are invited to apply for a scholarship to pursue a career in the outdoor industry or environmental field

Richmond, Calif. (Feb. 28, 2024) – The Outdoor Diversity Alliance (ODA) and Outdoor Recreation Roundtable’s (ORR) Together Outdoors (TO) initiative are partnering to launch a new program designed to connect students from underrepresented communities to outdoor and environmental professions. The Outdoor Pathway Scholarship will provide students with $5000 in scholarship funding over two years, mentorship, and assistance with job placement in the outdoor industry or environmental field.

The Outdoor Pathway Scholarship application opens today, and the deadline to apply is March 28, 2024. Applicants should submit a 600- to 800-word essay or three- to five-minute video about their relationship with the outdoors, personal interests and goals, volunteer experience, and dream job. ODA and ORR will review scholarship applications in April and announce the winners in early May. After awardees are selected, each student will be paired with a leader from the industry who will provide coaching and mentorship for two years. Upon graduation, ORR and ODA will assist students with job placement.

Applicants must meet the following qualifications to be considered:

• Student must be pursuing an education in the outdoor industry or environmental fields
• Student must graduate in 2026. (Current sophomores in a four-year program, students starting a two-year program in the fall, and part-time students graduating in 2026 all qualify.)
• Student must show a financial need, however detailed financial information not required
• School must be located in the United States
• Student is required to have a 2.0 minimum grade point average
• School must be located in the United States
• School can be in-person or online
• Student can attend full-time or part-time

ODA developed the scholarship program criteria based on the feedback and recommendations from their community advisors. ODA’s community advisors represent outdoor affinity groups and historically marginalized communities, and they provide input about how ODA can best serve their communities.

ODA and TO will award a minimum of $10,000 in scholarships in May. They hope to raise additional funding to increase the number of students they can support with scholarship funding. Companies or individuals interested in making a donation to the scholarship program should contact the Outdoor Diversity Alliance at outdoordiversityalliance@gmail.com.

“To make the environment and outdoors more inclusive, we need to invite representatives from a diverse workforce to have seats at the table,” said Lestarya Molloy, founder & CEO at Fridie Outdoors. “As a woman of color who studied environmental economics and policy at University of California Berkeley, I know first-hand this scholarship signals to students that they can solve issues they care about as a career,” said Molloy. “There are professions to increase access to parks and green spaces, improve air and water quality, design innovative new gear and technology to increase outdoor participation, and more. This program is an invitation and validation that students from underrepresented backgrounds with environmental studies are both wanted and needed to create lasting change.“

“The scholarship program is not only providing financial assistance to students, but also ensuring that they have access to mentorship opportunities that will help them in their career pathways in the outdoor industry and environmental fields,” said Teresa Baker, ODA board member and founder of the In Solidarity Project.

“Together Outdoors is proud to support this new program for students from underrepresented communities to pursue careers in conservation and the outdoors,” said Ambreen Tariq, senior program director at Outdoor Recreation Roundtable and Together Outdoors Coalition Lead. “Outdoor recreation generates $1.1 trillion in economic output and supports nearly 5 million jobs. Creating more pathways to these meaningful careers for a new, diverse generation of young people will only make our industry more vibrant.”

Click here to access the Outdoor Pathway Scholarship program application.

About Outdoor Diversity Alliance

Launched in October 2023, the Outdoor Diversity Alliance (ODA) is a growing group of outdoor brands that are committed to collectively advancing equity in the industry. Its mission is to assist the outdoor industry in addressing systemic issues impacting diversity, equity, and inclusion through collective action. Central to ODA’s theory of change is the idea that business leaders must listen to the needs of historically underrepresented communities and groups, and drive change across the industry. For more information, follow ODA on LinkedIn, visit the website at www.insolidarityproject.com/oda, or email ODA at outdoordiversityalliance@gmail.com to inquire about membership.

About Outdoor Recreation Roundtable

The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) is the nation’s leading coalition of outdoor recreation associations representing the more than 110,000 outdoor businesses in the recreation economy and the full spectrum of outdoor-related activities. The most recent data from the U.S. Department of Commerce shows that outdoor recreation generated $1.1 trillion in economic output (2.2% of GDP), 5 million jobs and comprises 3.2% of U.S. employees. Funding for this project is made possible from Together Outdoors, an ORR initiative that nurtures an environment where all people have access to welcoming outdoor recreation experiences. We pursue this work through engagement, partnership, and education across all segments of the outdoor community.

Contact: Julie Atherton

julie@jamcollective.net

(415) 244-2585