Episode 86: Nature as a Disruptive Force for Queer Youth – Elyse Rylander

Episode 86: Nature as a Disruptive Force for Queer Youth

Interview with Elyse Rylander, Founder of OUT There Adventures

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Elyse Rylander is the founder and executive director of OUT There Adventures, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering queer young people through their connection with the natural world. Elyse believes nature is a disruptive force for queer youth and hopes to positively foster their identities and love of the outdoors.

She’s doing so through her nonprofit, OUT There Adventures. By partnering with existing organizations like Outward Bound and Northwest Youth Corps, she’s reaching more queer kids and multiplying the potential impact of OUT There’s mission. It takes time, energy, and capital to build a nonprofit. Elyse shares the challenges and rewards of the last five years of work and her vision for years to come.

Find the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, GooglePlay, or wherever you stream podcasts.

Featuring: Elyse Rylander, Founder and Executive Director of OUT There Adventures

Hosted by Gale Straub 

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Music is by Josh Woodward, Lee Rosevere and Jason Shaw via freemusicarchive.org using a CC by A license

Music is also by Kay Orange

In this episode, you’ll hear:

– What Elyse is working on right now
– How partnering with other established nonprofits like Outward Bound is helping spread the mission of OUT There Adventures
– Why it can be uniquely hard for a small nonprofit to do outreach for queer kids for outdoor programs
– Why role models are so important for queer youth in the outdoors
– How working at an outdoor store and getting into guiding positively impacted Elyse as a teenager
– Why Elyse believes nature is a disruptive force
– How nature mirrors queer identities
– How OUT There fosters inclusiveness on trips
– What Elyse hopes the youth take with them when they leave
– Hurdles to growth for OUT There
– Elyse’s vision for the future- About the second annual LGBTQ Outdoor Summit
– What Elyse is looking forward to

Elyse & OUT There Adventures

 

 

Links/Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

•  OUT There Adventures: Website & Instagram
• LGBTQ Outdoor Summit
• Elyse’s personal instagram
• Outside Online Article about Elyse and OUT There

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