our mission
welcome outside is a socially responsible organization that seeks to provide a public benefit, but before you read about our big purpose we hope you will enjoy our little story.
our story
welcome outside was born, like many of us, indoors. education director and founder, robby martinez, was at home sheltering-in-place during the pandemic, with a little over a decade's worth of experience in k-12 education: small non-public schools, medium-sized charter schools, and large public schools. he thought to himself, having been a teacher and administrator, "i can help!" after a brief thought experiment, and a lot of work, he thought he could help people go outside by teaching them how to learn and grow, socially and emotionally. in the name of a better world, welcome outside was born.
in nature, and through the use of culturally-responsive and trauma-responsive teaching and restorative practices, outdoor education with welcome outside brings people together to share their insights and experience in community-building circles and restorative justice circles.
let us know how we can welcome you and your group outside - hello@welcomeoutside.org
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learn more about our humble beginning by reading our very first press release.
"honesty and openness is always the foundation of insightful dialogue."
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bell hooks, all about love
our mission
at welcome outside, we provide underserved youth and adults opportunities to build community, stronger relationships and a sense of belonging, through social-emotional learning. by participating in community-building circles, or restorative justice circles, participants learn to express themselves through trusting relationships in a natural environment. our inclusive, culturally responsive, outdoor education approach to social-emotional learning develops an opportunity for each participant to grow stronger, building on self-regulation, responsibility, social competence, empathy and resilience.
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our vision & values
welcome outside brings youth and adults together outside to develop who they are inside, creating a community of emotionally intelligent thinkers and nature lovers.
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nature-based learning - our experiential learning approach is place-based and community-based, both in terms of exploring natural surroundings, as well as being for the exploration of oneself and others.
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social-emotional learning - through the use of trauma-responsive teaching practices, our inquiry-based model represents a group form of active and responsive listening and motivational interviewing.
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relationship & community building - restorative practices, such as community-building circles and restorative circles, bring change and belonging to light for our groups.
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growth mindset - we believe that the ability to grow begins by being open with each other as whole-persons, leading to stronger relationships and more successful futures.
our theory of change
by providing restorative outdoor education to underserved youth and adults, welcome outside strengthens relationships in a community through social-emotional learning opportunities.
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the resulting experience of each participant, as a matter of the diversity, equity and inclusion of the group, is the development of self-regulation, responsibility, social competence, empathy and resilience.
