For kids in the Montrose area, the outdoors is about to open up in new ways. Thanks to a nearly $1.5 million grant from Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), the Montrose Recreation District (MRD) is leading a five-year initiative to help more young people build lasting connections with nature.
The funding, awarded this month, will establish Generation Wild of the Uncompahgre (GWU), a coalition of nonprofits, schools, and community partners working together to reduce barriers to outdoor access.
“This is the largest programming grant the Rec District has ever received,” said Astro Ball, MRD’s grants, data, and outreach specialist. “It’s not an exaggeration to say this project has the potential to change the course of young people’s lives here.”
The Generation Wild program, created by GOCO in 2017, is built on a simple idea: kids thrive when they spend more time outside. Since its launch, the initiative has funded more than 9,500 programs across Colorado, reaching more than 360,000 participants.
Great Outdoors Colorado invests a portion of Colorado Lottery proceeds into projects that preserve and enhance parks, trails, rivers, wildlife, and open spaces. Since voters created the program in 1992, GOCO has funded more than 5,800 projects in all 64 counties without any tax dollar support. This year, the board awarded $24 million to youth and family outdoor programs statewide, with Montrose Rec District’s $1.49 million grant among the largest.
“This partnership reflects not just an investment in programs, but in the power of collaboration and community vision,” said Jackie Miller, GOCO’s executive director, in a statement. “Together, we’re building a movement to ensure Coloradans across the state can access the joy, belonging, and health benefits that nature provides.”
Locally, Ball said surveys, focus groups, and community conversations revealed why families weren’t getting outdoors as much as they’d like. The biggest barriers? Cost, time, lack of gear, and, often, no one to go with.
“Parents want their kids outside, but when you’ve got two working parents and school gets out at 2:45, it’s not easy,” Ball said. “A lot of families just don’t have the flexibility or resources. That’s exactly what we’re trying to address.”
Programs in the works
Coalition partners have mapped out dozens of programs set to roll out over the next five years. Some are brand-new, while others expand existing offerings to reach more kids. Ball said the variety is intentional.
“We want a continuum of opportunities,” he said. “From a kid’s very first camping trip to high schoolers getting job experience in outdoor recreation, the goal is to make sure every kid can find their way into nature.”
Some highlights include:
• Outdoor after-school program: In partnership with Outer Range Outdoor School, MRD will pilot a program where students are bussed straight from school to spend the entire afternoon outside—hiking, playing, and learning in nature. Unlike current programs that split time between gyms and classrooms, this one will keep kids outdoors from pickup until their parents get off work.
• Overnight and family camping: For many local families, camping can be intimidating or financially out of reach. New overnight programs will provide gear, instruction, and guidance. “We want first-time campers to feel comfortable and confident,” Ball said.
• Outdoor mentoring: Working with Partners Mentoring Youth, the coalition will pair kids with mentors who share outdoor interests—from birdwatching to climbing. “One of the biggest hurdles is just having someone to go with,” Ball said. “This program is meant to solve that.”
• River trips for fifth graders: The Colorado Canyons Association already takes some Montrose County students on daylong rafting trips. Thanks to the grant, every fifth grader at Northside, Pomona, and Johnson elementary schools will get that same experience, phased in starting in 2026.
Spanish-language programs: In collaboration with the Hispanic Affairs Project and other cultural partners, MRD is expanding Spanish-language rafting, hiking, and camping trips.
Breaking down barriers for Latino families
Just last weekend, 20 Spanish-speaking first-generation immigrants joined a rafting trip on the Gunnison River — for many, their first-ever river outing.
For Karen Sherman-Perez of the Hispanic Affairs Project, that kind of experience illustrates why the coalition matters.
“Our interest is always making sure that our Latino and Hispanic community isn’t left out of important initiatives like this,” Sherman-Perez said. “We know there are inequities when it comes to marginalized communities, whether that’s low-income families or people who are African-American or Latino Hispanic, and often there are more barriers to getting outdoors. We feel like we can play a role in helping folks overcome that barrier.”
Sherman-Perez said her organization has organized small outings in the past, such as informal field trips to Ridgway State Park, but many families had never experienced activities like rafting until the Generation Wild partnership.
“Some of the families on that river trip, it was the first time they’d ever been on the water,” she said. “One participant told us it was transformational. When whole families are encouraged to participate, the likelihood of them continuing on their own outdoor outings increases immensely.”
She said seeing families experience Colorado’s natural resources for the first time reinforces why Generation Wild funding is so valuable.
Other opportunities on the horizon
The coalition also plans:
Learn to Paddle: For youth who want to move beyond rafting into whitewater kayaking or paddleboarding, the coalition plans to create new instruction opportunities that currently don’t exist in Montrose.
Gear libraries: Families will soon have access to a consolidated, expanded gear library with everything from tents to life jackets, available at little or no cost.
School-based programming: The grant will provide consistent outdoor experiences for students in engagement centers—programs within Montrose middle and high schools that support youth facing academic or behavioral challenges.
Internships and job pathways: Teens will have opportunities to work as summer staff, outdoor educators, or interns designing programs. “Part of the vision is creating career pathways in land management and recreation,” Ball said.
Backbone of a coalition
While MRD is the fiscal agent—the organization GOCO sends money through—the project is designed as a true coalition. Partners include Friends of Youth and Nature, Voyager Youth Program, Colorado Canyons Association, Partners Mentoring Youth, and Western Slope Schools Careers Collaborative.
The Rec District’s role is not just to manage funds, but also to coordinate the moving parts. Ball said his position is partially funded by the grant, and additional staffing will help keep the coalition on track.
“We’ll have monthly meetings, shared marketing, and a shared newsletter,” Ball said. “MRD will be the backbone, but the strength is in the collaboration. Every partner brings expertise.”
That collaboration also means flexibility. Not every program will launch at once; some will phase in as capacity grows. Others will evolve based on community feedback.
Long-term vision
Beyond the programs themselves, leaders say the coalition is about changing culture—making the outdoors an accessible, everyday part of life for all kids.
“We know that building a relationship with nature early on can impact someone’s health, joy, and wellbeing for the rest of their life,” Ball said. “That’s what excites us most.”
Programs will begin rolling out in 2026, with some early initiatives already underway. Ball pointed to the rafting trip with Spanish-speaking families as an example of how quickly the coalition can act when opportunities arise.
“There will be a lot of exciting moments like that,” he said. “We want to share those stories with the community as they happen.”
MRD and its partners hope the five-year grant is just the beginning. The goal is to create structures—programs, partnerships, and trained leaders—that last long after the funding ends.
“Twenty years ago, opportunities like this just weren’t around,” Ball said. “Now, a kid growing up in Montrose will have a completely different experience.”
Justin Tubbs is the Montrose Business Times editor. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 970-765-0915 or mobile at 254-246-2260.
