Elevate Outdoors is an employee development program aimed at creating more inclusive and accessible experiences in the outdoor recreation economy.

Thanks to the collaboration between Travel Oregon and Oregon State University, the first 50 members of the Why Guides registry will receive a scholarship to complete the course for free (a $250 value!).

In this 8-hour asynchronous online course, you will develop the awareness and skills to make Oregon’s outdoor spaces more inclusive and welcoming.

 Topics include:

• inclusion and belonging
• the meaning of culture, inclusive spaces and language
• equity as related to outdoor spaces
• historical examples of outdoor exclusion
• current state research toward a more equitable outdoor experience for all

 By the end of the training, you will:

• understand the importance and relevance of access, inclusion, and belonging as it relates to the outdoors.
• develop awareness of your own identity and how it affects your life experience.
• appreciate the complexity of people's identities.
• understand the barriers to access in the outdoors
• be able to utilize what you have learned to contribute to the creation of inclusive and welcoming experiences within your own outdoor guide business.

To apply, fill out the registration form and enter the discount code provided to you by Travel Oregon. If you do not have the code, you can email Hilary Sager of Travel Oregon. The code will be valid through June 30, 2024.

Please note that this course is exclusively for Travel Oregon's Why Guides program participants. If you are not part of the Why Guides program, please email outdooreconomy@oregonstate.edu for more information.