PUEBLO — On Friday, October 11, board members from Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) awarded grants to the City of Pueblo totaling $190,532.
The money is an extension of GOCO's Generation Wild Program, which serves to provide new outdoor experiences for children in "urban, suburban, and rural communities across Colorado." This program was introduced in 2015 as an effort to inspire children to go outside more often, and potentially inspire future careers in nature-based industries.
Currently, this programs support 12 different coalitions across Colorado, which the state has named "Generation Wild Communities." The grant money will serve four coalitions in the Pueblo area, introducing them to the "Generation Wild network."
Families in Pueblo currently face many obstacles to outdoor opportunities. From access to transportation to language barriers, City Mayor Heather Graham is determined to remove these barriers for Pueblo youth.
She released the following statement:
“The City of Pueblo is excited to receive a Generation Wild planning grant, which will assist us with connecting the youth and families to our wonderful amenities."
“With over 80 parks, the extensive trail system, the Pueblo Levee, the new City Park wave at Waterworks Park, and more in our community, there are so many spaces to encourage youth to explore. We’re thankful to receive this financial support. We know this will elevate our new Outdoor Recreation Administrator position and promote all outdoor activities available to Puebloans, visitors, and more.”
Other members of the Pueblo community have also dedicated their time and resources to this effort. Organizations involved include the following:
- Pueblo Communities that Care
- The Boys and Girls Clubs
- Nature and Wildlife Discovery Center
- Pueblo Zoo
The Parks and Recreation department at the city and county level are also supportive of this initiative.
Civic Canopy, a local non-profit organization dedicated to bettering Colorado communities, has been working with these partner programs to establish "community engagement, collaboration, and program sustainability."
The organizations are currently planning on using places like the Boys and Girls Clubs of Pueblo to welcome conversation from the communityand solicit feedback.
Some of Colorado's incredible outdoor experiences reside in Pueblo, including Lake Pueblo State Park; the state's most visited state park.
"We’re so excited to invest in planning for four new communities interested in joining the Generation Wild network."
"Committed to collaboration, they've been hard at work developing the relationships, resources, and community engagement plans needed to connect kids and families with high quality, close-to-home outdoor experiences. GOCO is proud to help these coalitions take their next steps towards achieving their visions, and to support the continued growth of Colorado’s youth-in-outdoors movement."
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