Mission: Outdoorithm Collective transforms access to public lands by creating supportive, culturally relevant camping experiences and community networks that empower urban families to build lasting outdoor traditions.
“Leave anyway. Camp as it comes. Nobody solos. Dirt don’t hurt. Take up space.
For Outdoorithm Collective, these aren’t just mantras – they’re invitations to a movement where BIPOC families are discovering that public lands can be antidotes to isolation: spaces where authentic connection, joy, and deep belonging flourish.
“There are very few times as a Black man that I feel comfortable in the woods. Being able to feel safe camping changes the narrative that being in the woods is not something ‘that Black people do.'”
This is Outdoorithm Collective.
We host 8-10 families per camping trip on public lands—providing all gear, expert guidance, and the community support that transforms first-timers into confident outdoor families.
Within hours of arrival, “Can you help with this tent pole?” becomes “Your kids can hang with us while you rest.” Strangers become family. Connection across difference happens naturally when you’re co-creating shelter, sharing meals, and watching sunsets together.
The impact: Families come back for more trips and bring their friends. First-time campers rate the experience 5 out of 5. New campers now see themselves as belonging in the outdoors. Participants are stepping up to train as trip hosts. We’ve launched a membership platform to sustain these connections year-round. The movement is growing.
As one parent shared: “Now I watch my daughter climbing trees and running free through camp with no shoes. I see a child with no fear, only joy. This is the dream each generation has had for their children.”
Climate Ride’s grant helps us expand this transformation—more families experiencing connection on camping trips, more relationships sustained through our digital community year-round, and more people discovering that nature is a space where isolation ends and belonging begins.
Every family that camps with us becomes part of a growing movement – one that’s rewriting the story of who belongs in nature, one campfire at a time.”
-Sally Steele, Co-founder and Board Chair
Help connect and amplify their work!
Learn more > www.outdoorithmcollective.org
