NRF Blog highlights our program

by Kyle Oblong

The Urban Wilderness Program has been grateful for the close partnership and generous support of the National Recreation Foundation (NRF). Our missions align deeply, as we both share a commitment to expanding access to the outdoors and creating meaningful, confidence-building experiences for young people in urban communities.

With early support from NRF, we launched Urban Wilderness in Cincinnati, partnering with local schools to provide hands-on learning opportunities like boatbuilding, camping, and paddling. When the pandemic challenged traditional programming, we adapted by creating a mobile makerspace that brought outdoor education directly into neighborhoods, allowing us to continue serving students and expand our reach.

That innovation and growth ultimately led to the beginning of our new permanent home, the Shuman Urban Wilderness Center at Aiken High School. The center will help strengthen our ability to deliver transformative outdoor experiences and deepen our impact, a journey highlighted in NRF’s recent blog.