Play Outdoors is the exclusive sponsor of the PlayOutdoors.com Family Outpost at the 2011 Outdoor Nations Summer Youth Summits. The PlayOutdoors.com Family Outpost, where families get ruckus ready for outdoor adventures, will include a full day of free activities including art and educational projects for children and their parents.
Outdoor Nation named Americas State Parks as its national cause partner for the 2011 Summit series which will take place between June and July in five cities: New York City, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Denver and San Francisco. The summits are part of Outdoor Nations initiative to encourage Americas youth to reconnect with the outdoors and will involve over 1250 youth delegates from across the country, ages 18-26.
Each regional event is expected to attract thousands of visitors, including a conference of youth delegates. Delegates will brainstorm project ideas that address regional barriers to outside activities, vote on the top ideas in each region and receive funding and training from Outdoor Nations parent organization, Outdoor Foundation, to carry out these projects. Next week, PLAY OUTDOORS will begin its search for 25 talented and passionate youth leaders to take part as PLAY OUTDOORS delegates at the Summits. Delegate application details are to be released with a June 1 deadline.
Outdoor Nation is focused on encouraging Americas youth to reconnect, redefine and rediscover Americas outdoor spaces and we fully support their mission through our sponsorship of the Youth Summit series, said Sarah Laufer, CEO and Director of Ruckus at PLAY OUTDOORS. We will be hosting a ‘Family Outpost in each region to offer families a festive, safe environment to enjoy the outdoors while learning tips on how to get outside together more often.
Each of the five regional PlayOutdoors.com Family Outpost areas will coincide with the Summer Fun Day dates below and will target young families with free activities including a family souvenir photo area, arts and crafts projects, outdoor educational programming, a chill out zone including refreshments and stroller parking. Families will receive regional Get Outside guides offering tips and discounts to help parents and their children enjoy local hiking and camping experiences.
Youth Summits/Summer Fun Day dates and locations:
- New York City, NY
Regional Summit: June 24-26, Floyd Bennett Field
Summer Fun Day: June 26, Floyd Bennett Field - Atlanta, GA
Regional Summit: July 8-10, Clark Atlanta University
Summer Fun Day: July 9, Sweetwater Creek State Park - Minneapolis, MN
Regional Summit: July 15-17, University of MN St. Paul campus
Summer Fun Day: July 16, Fort Snelling State Park - Denver, Colo.
Regional Summit: July 22-24, Cherry Creek State Park
Summer Fun Day: July 23, Cherry Creek State Park - San Francisco, Calif.
Regional Summit: July 29-31, Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Summer Fun Day: July 30, Golden Gate National Recreation Area
For more information on the summits, please visit www.playoutdoors.com/outdoor-nation.aspx or follow Play Outdoors on Twitter for the latest news at http://twitter.com/PlayOutdoors.
