On Monday, June 3, 2024, the Princeton-Blairstown Center (PBC) celebrated its donors and volunteers at their annual Leadership Dinner, hosted by NRG Energy. Guests enjoyed an evening of good food and conversation, while focusing on the importance of access to the outdoors for all young people. Guest speakers Ron Franco, Brian Kelley and Aaron Watson shared insights and observations on the impact of outdoor access from varied perspectives.
Ron Franco, a Senior Program Manager at PBC’s Blairstown Campus, offered his perspective on the importance of experiential environmental education for young people from historically marginalized communities.
Brian Kelley, a middle-school science teacher from Trenton’s Foundation Academies, shared insights on the critical role that hands-on outdoor science learning has in the education of young people.
Aaron Watson, co-founder of the Outdoor Equity Alliance, current Ewing Township Business Administrator, and former Executive Director of the Mercer County Parks Commission, provided critical context for the ways in which we look at equity and access to the outdoors, while offering specific examples of how his organization, as well as the Mercer County Parks Department, is creating additional outdoor opportunities for people of color within the local community.
All three guest speakers provided the audience with an opportunity to engage in open dialogue about the impact of systemic racism on outdoor education opportunities, and the ways in which organizations like the Princeton-Blairstown Center can work to increase the number of young people who can enjoy the benefits of time spent in nature. Research from Stanford University has found that students experienced a 90% increase in social-emotional and academic skills after outdoor education opportunities. Guest Daniel Oscar asked the panelists what we can do to make sure high-quality outdoor experiences are available to all young people and the answer was advocacy and making the case to politicians as some states do mandate environmental education opportunities for all.
Princeton-Blairstown Center President & CEO Pam Gregory shared, “What began as a small summer camp in 1908 to mentor inner-city kids has evolved into an outdoor experiential education program for young people who otherwise don’t have access to high-quality outdoor programs. All young people should have access to places like Blairstown. However, such experiences are often limited to those with the means to afford these opportunities. We believe that access and equity in experiential outdoor learning is at the heart of what we do.”
