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Healthy in Nature Equity Program

Amount $685,021
Grantee Loma Linda University
Award Year 2022
Funding Source General Fund, Outdoor Equity Program
Project Type Program Operation
Project Status

Description

Conduct the Healthy in Nature – Equity Program (SHiNE) Program for residents near the Garden of Health in the City of San Bernardino. This program will include approximately 60 activity days in the community for approximately 1,900 participants and 82 trips to natural areas for approximately 1,500 participants during four years of programming.

Activities in the community will include careers and occupations in nature, animals in nature, wellness and sustainability classes, San Bernardino environmental history, nature and food sovereignty, composting, aquaponics, wellness, Self-sustainability, and Skill Building, as well as hiking and camping planning safety, and community gathering.

Trips to natural areas outside of the community will include animals and safety in nature in the San Bernardino Mountains, animals in nature at the Phelan Big Cat Sanctuary, water/air testing and local water/air pollution education at Silverwood Lake, I Spy: spotting animals in our local hills, local animals 'Great Horned Owl' at Lake Arrowhead, Wolf Connection in Palmdale, water/air testing and local water/air pollution education in Yucaipa Forest Falls, The Living Desert Zoo in Palm Springs, Nature Conservancy's Crystal Cove in New Port Beach, Nature Conservancy's University California Riverside Botanical Gardens, Nature Conservancy's Oak Glen Nature Conservancy in Oak Glen, mindfulness & self-discovery at White Water Preserve in White Water, mindfulness & self-discovery at Painted Canyon in Mecca, mindfulness & self-discovery at Lake Gregory in Crestline, Nature Conservancy's San Diego Safari in Escondido, introductory experience & skills building for outdoor recreation Orange County day sailing in Newport Beach, introductory experience & skills building for outdoor recreation San Diego day fishing, rock climbing at Joshua Tree National Park, snowboarding at Big Bear Mountain, surfing in San Clemente.

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Community Home Base Location
Garden of Health, 1455 E 3rd St San Bernardino, CA 92408
County San Bernardino
Assembly District AD 45 James C. Ramos (D)
Senate District SD 23 Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (R)
Congressional District CD 33 Pete Aguilar (D)

Other Program Goals

Service Learning/Career Pathway/Leadership Opportunities

5 residents will receive LLU OEP Leadership Certificates - The LLU OEP Leadership Certificate would be presented to outstanding participants who have shown dedication, leadership, and ownership in the programs. These participants would be identified by leaders as participants that have demonstrated commitment to the environmental justice foundations in the programs, have shared new initiatives with the group, and/or have assisted the programs in an exceptional manner. These certificates would be signed by our university President Dr. Hart and could be added to their resumes and experience CVs.

6 residents will be offered paid LLU Internship: Students and community members can build on their experience and take on leadership opportunities by helping plan and execute the programming. By building on their existing skills and knowledge base they can gain opportunities to participate as the leaders of the opportunities strengthening their logistics skills, administrative background, and program planning and implementation. These internships would offer paid opportunities therefore addressing the inequity in access to unpaid internships and participation in our existing nature and nutrition efforts and new programming. Two interns per quarter (6) will be hosted with all interns coming together during the Summer when there are more planned activities.

15 residents will take part in service learning and service opportunities for the University and their programs with an emphasis in mutual learning, community empowerment and assets, and reciprocity. Participants in the program would be eligible to participate as both givers and receivers of service opportunities, learning about reciprocal relationships in the community both with nature and each other. Participants in service learning would be invited to serve and reflect through a reflection paper drafted to have participants meditate on their learning, community involvement, relationships to nature, and role in their community. The Service-Learning Coordinator who is part of the existing team can offer participants a recognition for their participation which participants can add to their resume once they complete the Service-Learning components. Participants will also be able to form 1:1 relationship with LLU students who are also participating in Service-Learning activities through the University and learn more about their careers and journey in healthcare.

Partnerships

Outdoor Outreach provides implementation and coordination of the program which includes transportation to all outdoor engagements, food, education, and organized fun.

San Bernardino County Unified School District - will be providing service learning, career pathway, leadership opportunities, and mentoring youth leaders after the grant

Mentoring

The six interns through the OEP program will each be assigned a mentee whom they will mentor throughout their internship period and for the calendar year after. These mentees will be identified through their leadership, primarily those who have completed either the LLU OEP Leadership Certificate or the Service-Learning components, demonstrating interest and dedication to serving their local community. The interns will utilize their time to connect mentees to local organizations, such as the Sierra Club, for opportunities to learn about advocacy, policy, and to participate in local environmental justice projects such as cleanups. These mentees will also have the opportunity to participate in a networking session after the Careers in Health and Nature Equity Panel. This panel will take place once a year during the grantee’s existing Pipeline Summer program intensive series of events where local youth learn about professions and develop professional skills such as presenting, research, and interviews. Mentees will have a private session to network with these panelists with careers in nature, nutrition, and natural resource management to connect personally with those whose journey they would like to learn more about. Mentees, and all participants in the Summer Pipeline Program, are supported as lifetime alumni of the LLU Pipeline Alumni Association which hosts monthly professional development workshops, quarterly networking events, annual scholarship opportunities, and more. 

Annual Reports Start in December 2023!

Grantee will report the number of children served, partnership accomplishments and lessons learned, how educational goals were achieved, and unforeseen challenges and recommended solutions, with the goal of inspiring and building capacity for future outdoor program providers throughout California.