(COLORADO) — Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has opened applications for the Outdoor Equity Grants for nonprofits in Colorado.
Beginning Monday, Aug. 21 the application period for the grant opens, lasting until Sept. 29.
On Thursday, Aug. 31 there will be a question and answer session hosted by CPW from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The Q&A session will be recorded and CPW recommends applicants watch the session before applying.
CPW said, the Outdoor Equity Grant was created by House Bill 21-1318 and funded through a redistribution of lottery money earmarked for the general fund. It is focused on creating opportunities for youth and their families from communities who have been historically excluded, so that they have equitable opportunities to get involved in recreational activities and experience Colorado’s outdoor areas.
According to CPW, a grant applicant’s program should aim to address one or more of the following issues:
- The racial inequities young Coloradans face in accessing the outdoors
- Improving environmental justice
- Accessibility to the outdoors for Colorado youth from historically excluded communities, including black, Indigenous, and youth of color, LGBTQIA2S+ youth, youth with disabilities, immigrant and refugee youth, and low-income youth
- Providing environmental, experiential, outdoor, or stewardship and conservation education
CPW said programs or projects should strive to be culturally responsive, and raise awareness of and or seek to address the root cause of the disparities Colorado youth experience while trying to access the outdoors, whether youth are from an urban, inner-city environment or a rural community.
“Our goal is to build the Colorado of our future through strategic investments that improve the lives and well-being of youth and their families,” said CPW.
