Get Outsiders Outside: Inclusive Outdoor Adventure Education for Healing from Gender and Racialized Stereotypes

• In Event: Wellness, Healing, Joy, and Resistance at the Intersections of Racial, Gender, and Sexual Identities

Abstract

Women, transgender, and nonbinary people (WTNB) and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) participate at lower rates than cisgender men in outdoor adventure education (OAE), despite its identity development benefits. This study unforgets the historic exclusion of the communities of interest and examines contemporary barriers that continue to influence participation rates. Using a mixed methods approach, the researcher surveyed WTNB adults who identified as outdoor recreation enthusiasts through snowball and convenience sampling. The findings showed barriers to participation in outdoor education at the intersections of gender, racialization, and class. The researcher developed recommendations to construct a new vision for outdoor educators, including inclusive program marketing, creating gender- and race-based affinity programs, and grant-funding programs to expand access.

Author

• Nicole Kangas, Sacramento City Unified School District