Our Impact
Why Get Outside?
Getting outside is one of the most powerful interventions we can make in a person’s life.
The research has been consistent across decades: outdoor experiences improve physical health, mental health, academic outcomes, and long-term wellbeing. Despite that, years of data shows a massive gap between those who have access, and those who do not.
The research is clear…
Time outside is impactful for everyone, and it is particularly impactful for communities that face the most adversity.
Mental Health
Teenagers on multi-day trips outdoors experience a 65% decrease in reported anxiety following the trip.1 Programs significantly improve life satisfaction2, and significantly reduce hopelessness while increasing resilience3.
Physical Health
Persistent outdoor exposure was associated with a 25% decrease in infirmary visits.4 An analysis of studies of over 290 million people found a 31% reduction in the risk of death, a 28% lower risk of developing diabetes, and a 16% lower risk of fatality from heart disease.5
Inequality
Multiple studies have shown that the impacts of outdoor experiences are magnified among low-income communities. Time.5 Low-incomes and mortality correlate less when the low-income community spends time outside.6 Educational attainment outside for English Language Learners far exceeded that of other students.6
Education
3rd grade students exposed to outdoor lessons interrupted teaches half as much, and class ratings by both teachers and independent observers were a standard deviation higher when instruction was outdoors.7 Educational attainment outside for English Language Learners exceeded that of other students.8
Mentorship
A 2017 internal program study showed that a week-long backpacking program with a mentor matched or exceeded several metrics of a year-long mentoring program. Compressed time outside accelerates the mentor relationship.
Career Outcomes
A study we supported at a university showed that outdoor experiences at the start of college were the only interventions that increased 4-year retention. Outdoor education increases both increased confidence and increased outcomes in STEM careers, with outsized effects for women and people of color.9
…so is the problem.
Outdoor participation is becoming more diverse, but access still doesn’t reflect America’s population.
This reflects broad historical patterns that excluded some groups more than others from outdoor spaces and activities.
Unfortunately, these trends have proven persistent, and lag behind population trends.
It’s not just race – we see this pattern reflected in income, gender, and more.
Traditional pathways to the outdoors – summer camps, the scouts, parents who go camping – are all in decline. Those programs also were not designed to serve a more diverse 21st century American audience.
We want to change that. So we are building a new model for going outside.
This equity problem goes beyond recreation. This gap is an underlying factor in health disparity, mental health crises in youth, and more. It’s critical we fix it.
Powerful experiences belong to anyone, and Get Outside Bus serves all communities regardless of race, creed, or identity – but this data shows us there is still a resource gap we can tackle.
Outdoor Inclusive Leadership
We are building a diverse coalition of leaders who share resources, training, and best practices. Empowered by a Get Outside Bus, these leaders run programs their communities are asking for, with the support that they need. The real impact of our work is what they create with the system we facilitate.
Traditional Programs
-
Pre-Set Curriculum
You come for someone else's agenda. -
Enrollment Based
The program instigator is often outside the community served. -
A Home Base
Getting to the program involves going far from home. -
Staff Led
Leaders may have limited shared experience with participants. -
Extensive Overhead
Massive expenses need to be covered by program costs.
A Get Outside Bus
-
"Your mission is our mission."
You set the agenda yourself. -
Partnership Based
The program is designed by and for the community served. -
On Site Service
The program starts at home - even if it goes elsewhere. -
Community Led
Programs are lead by someone from the community involved. -
Reduced Overhead
As a shared resource, costs are shared and programs cost less.
Get Outside Bus Works
We have had significant impact, and our model is able to get more people outside using significantly fewer resources. There is virtually no better way to invest in young people.
We measure our work based on two major criteria:
Accessibility
Inequity has shaped who does and does not get to spend time outside. Today, that manifests across lines of race, class, and gender.
What we do about it:
- Cuisine that reflects the cultures we serve, not just hot dogs and s’mores.
- Adaptive support. First-time teachers get more; veteran guides get gear and a ride.
- Leaders tell us how to handle schedules, discipline, and food authentically.
Proof it works:
Over 90% of our participants come from identities historically underrepresented outside.
We have provided inclusive leadership training to over 60+ community leaders, serving dozens of organizations nationally.
In any given 3-year period, over 82% of our partners return, and most run the same or more programs than they did before.
Affordability
Typical summer camps run over $150 per person per night at the low end. We took an organizational and process design lens, and our average program runs 30 to 50 percent less.
What we do about it:
- Hyper-efficient systems. We invest upfront to save time each trip.
- Targeted costs. Safer vehicles mean lower insurance.
- No buildings, no facilities overhead. We operate mobile.
Proof it works:
Over four years, our average per-person per-day cost was $93.02. The national average is well over $150.
Other leading organizations in the space have budgets equivalent to $1,000+ per field day. Ours is $145.
- We achieve this while providing more services (transportation, full outfitting, customization) than comparable programs.
By the Numbers
References
1 | UNH Outdoor Orientation Program Symposium Annual Study Database
2| Puhakka, R., (2024). Effects of outdoor adventures on emerging adults’ well-being and connection with nature. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 24(4), 719-734.
3 | Davidson, C., Ewert, A., (2024). Exploring mental health outcome variables in outdoor adventure and experiential education. Journal of Experiential Education, 47(2), 185–190.
4 | Beyond Toxicity: Human Health and Natural Environment, American Journal of Preventive Medicine
5 | Twohig-Bennett C, Jones A. The health benefits of the great outdoors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of greenspace exposure and health outcomes.
6 | Mitchell R., Popham F. Effect of exposure to natural environment on health inequalities: an observational population study.
7 | Frontiers in Psychology. 2017: Do Lessons in Nature Boost Subsequent Class Engagement?
8 | American Institutes for Research: Impacts of Outdoor Education Programs
9 | Collins, M. A., Romero, V. F., Young, A., Dorph, R., Foreman, J., Strang, C., Pande, A., Laina, V., (2025). The value of outdoor environmental education programs for girls and youth of color: cultivating positive dispositions toward science and the environment. Environmental Education Research