TITLE
Recommendation to adopt resolution authorizing City Manager, or designee, to submit a grant application to the California Department of Parks and Recreation’s Office of Grants and Local Services through its Outdoor Equity Grant program, in an amount not to exceed $175,000, to support the Adventures in Outdoor Education and Exploration Program; and, if awarded, execute a grant agreement, and any documents necessary including subsequent amendments, to accept and expend the funds. (District 6)
DISCUSSION
The California Department of Parks and Recreation’s Office of Grants and Local Services (OGALS) has $57 million of funding available to provide outdoor recreational opportunities for under-resourced communities. The grant program provides outdoor recreation experiences to multi-generational residents, with an emphasis on youth. For many, these opportunities are out of reach due to financial and other barriers. Getting outdoors and appreciating nature can provide enrichment opportunities that have a lasting, positive impact on physical and mental health and well-being, especially during a pandemic.
The City proposes to implement the Adventures in Outdoor Education and Exploration Program (Program) with McBride Park serving as a community home base. McBride Park was selected because it meets several key metrics that demonstrate the need for outdoor recreation. For example, residents within a half mile radius of the park have access to 15.12 acres of park space which equates to .90 acres per 1,000 residents in this densely populated neighborhood. Youth make up 30 percent of the population and the median household income is $39,926. The McBride Park Community Center is also home to a teen center and a senior center, which expands the Program’s multi-generational impact.
The Program proposes activities within or around the community home base, including swim lessons for mostly youth and some adults at the nearby Martin Luther King Jr. Park Pool. The lessons ar...
Click here for full text