Creating Opportunities for Underserved Youth in Louisville — Episode 084

As we’ve discussed before, the unfortunate reality about outdoor
recreation is that not everyone has equitable access to these
opportunities and there are people who don’t necessarily feel
welcome or safe in certain spaces. And while we continue
advocating for equity in parks and recreation, it’s important to
recognize that there are many systemic barriers in place that
need to be broken down if we want a future with truly equitable
outcomes. We’re excited to be joined on the show today by three
individuals who are doing their part to address inequities and
systemic racism in the outdoor spaces in their city.


Today we are welcoming staff members of the Jefferson Memorial
Forest in Louisville, Kentucky, which is the largest municipal
urban forest in the U.S., as well as a staff member of the Urban
Conservation Corps (UCC) at YouthBuild Louisville.  We’re
thrilled to be joined by JoCari Beattie, a community outreach
specialist at Jefferson Memorial Forest; Dashaune Jones, the ECHO
Mobile program lead at Jefferson Memorial Forest; and Kenyetta
Johnson, a program assistant and focus area coordinator for UCC
at YouthBuild Louisville. These three have been working
tirelessly to provide opportunities for underserved youth to
experience the outdoors and much more.


Tune in to the full episode below to learn more about JoCari,
Dashaune and Kenyetta and the opportunities they’re creating for
underserved youth in Louisville, as well as:


What equity in parks and recreation and access to these
opportunities means to each of them personally.

How the ECHO Mobile program is meeting people where they are
and bringing nature to youth who don’t have access to nature.

How the ECHO Mobile program has been impacted by COVID-19 and
how it has been adapted.

How their work is addressing equity and systemic racism in
the outdoor recreation space.

How park and recreation professionals can champion and foster
equity in their communities and increase access to these kinds of
opportunities, and more!



Additional Resources:


Jefferson Memorial Forest website

YouthBuild Louisville

Parks & Recreation magazine article, “Reflecting on
Systemic Racism in Conservation”