Outdoor Youth Connection

Good news are coming! OCI Team is re-adjusting some of our programming to meet the community needs. Wait and see! We are very excited! . . #oci #oyc #orl #famcamp #camping #hiking #livestheparkslife

Throw back to last year when the OCI team presented at the Teen Summit! Crazy how a year just flew by Good thing that the pandemic is getting reigned in and the end of the tunnel is coming. Stay strong everyone! . .... #oci #oyc #orl #californiastateparks #livestheparkslife #teensummit #classparks #teens #thinkpositive See more

~~WALK California Update~~ At the beginning of this year, the California State Parks Office of Community Involvement asked Californians to stay active and explore places unknown by joining WALK California in a 7,127,050 step (3,037 mile) journey from California to Washington D.C. In the last month, walkers have made tremendous progress in the journey across the United States. On Monday, March 29, walkers reached the finish line, completing the longest route since the program ...launch in November of last year. Just in time to enjoy the cherry blossoms in Washington, DC. ~~ Photo Features ~~ This month walkers contributed more than just steps. As part of our monthly photo challenge, we asked walkers to upload photos that represent Winter in California. Thank you for all the submissions. We have featured a couple of favorites, but you can check out all the snapshots from local adventures on our WALK California Page. This month embrace the seasonal transition through capturing a photo of flowers on your local adventure. New life is popping up everywhere share the joy by sharing your snapshot: -Register with World Walking and join the WALK California group -Upload a photo of local blossoms -In the caption include your name and a note about your submission. ~~ What’s Next? ~~ WALK California is a symbol of many collective journeys. As we celebrate the completion of our third route, I would love to highlight the stories of those who have joined us along the way. Please contact our WALK California coordinator, Katie, directly if you are interested in sharing your experience. Keep Walking California! Happy Trails. . . #oci #walk #california #washingtondc #hike #walkcalifornia #flower #spring

Let’s gooooo!!

18 hours to go. So stokeeed!

Happy Friday! On this week of FamCamp Featured Friday, we are going to Leo Carrillo State Beach! Did you know that you could camp on this beautiful beach for free?! Does winter camping at a beach sounds like a treat to anyone? We bet it would be great once the storm calms down. Of course, camping in the summer would be a delight also. Come check out the beautiful beach that Leo Carrillo has to offer! ~~ Leo Carrillo State Park has 1.5 miles of beach for swimming, surfing, wi...ndsurfing, surf fishing and beachcombing. The beach also has tidepools, coastal caves and reefs for exploring. Giant sycamores shade the main campgrounds. The park also features back-country hiking. The park was named after Leo Carrillo (1880-1961), actor, preservationist and conservationist. Leo Carrillo served on the California Beach and Parks commission for eighteen years, and was instrumental in the state's acquisition of the Hearst property at San Simeon. He was related by blood and marriage to a long line of distinguished original Californians. Leo's greatest fame came from his portrayal of Pancho, the sidekick to Duncan Renaldo's Cisco Kid, an early 1950's TV series. ~~ Interested in learning more about how to get involved with FamCamp? Check the link in our bio. Give us a call/email and we can tell you all about it! Until next week -OCI Team

Hello California WALK-ers! Hope you all are doing well and walking everyday. We have a small progress update for you all regarding our status and current walk. Just last week we welcomed our 100th group member! Watching people from across California work together to complete a virtual journey has become a pleasant part of our Walk coordinator, Katie Freehling. This year we have made great headway on our cross-country trek and the WALK California community continues to grow.... We started 2021 with the ambitious goal of walking 7,127,050 steps (3,030 miles) from California to Washington D.C. Walkers have already completed the first leg of the adventure traveling from California to Arizona in less than 2 weeks, and we are quickly approaching the third walk milestone in New Mexico. Interested as we make our way across the great USA? Make an account at worldwalking.org and look for WALK California group. Let us know if you have any questions, we are here to help. -OCI Team

Welcome back to the second week of FamCamp Feature Friday! This week, we will be looking at San Luis Reservoir SRA in the Central Valley. If you think this place is familiar, then you are correct! OCI does our NorCal OYC and ORL here! If you have attended any of our training session before, send us a review to be featured! ~~ San Luis Reservoir SRA is a beautiful area. Nestled in the grassy hills of the western San Joaquin Valley near historic Pacheco Pass, San Luis Reservoir... State Recreation Area is noted for boating, board sailing, camping, and picnicking. But it's anglers who find the unit's three lakes most inviting. The area around San Luis Reservoir and O'Neill Forebay is often very windy, and winds can come up quite suddenly. Watch the wind warning lights at the Basalt entrance station, Quien Sabe Point, and Romero Visitor Center. On the forebay, wind warning lights are located at the Medeiros boat ramp and above the South Beach picnic area at San Luis Creek. ~~ Wondering about FamCamp and how you can take advantage of this opportunity to bring your organizations to this unique State Park? Check our bio, send us an email, or give us a call; we'll be happy to assist you. -OCI Team

Can you believe that 2020 will be over in just a few hours? As the year is coming to a close, join us for a few moments of reflect on the infamous 2020. P.s: can you name all the State Parks in the post? -OCI Team

Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend! Over the months of November and December, WALK California group members had finished the trek from Northern California to Southern California. It was no small feat but we did it! Now, we take up the next challenge. Don’t miss your chance to walk Yellowstone! The holiday season is the perfect time to work in some extra steps. Share your progress with the WALK California online community as we embark on our next route. If you have no...t already, register with World Walking, join the WALK California group and start logging your activity. Please remember to recreate responsibly - stay local, plan ahead, wear a mask in public, keep 6 ft social distance, and only recreate with those from your immediate household. As the adventure continues, stay tuned as we share progress and announce our next route. Wishing you all warmth, wellness, and adventure this holiday! -OCI Team

Welcome to the weekly Feature Friday, where we feature different aspects of our programs. For the next few weeks, we will highlight some of our FamCamp locations just in case you want to visit any of our locations after the pandemic is over. ~ First on the list is the FamCamp at Calaveras Big Tree State Park! Established in 1931, Calaveras Big Trees State Park preserves two groves of giant sequoias - the world's largest trees - in the North and South Groves. The park is a ...mixed-conifer forest (a variety of trees living together). In addition to the giant trees, you will find the Stanislaus River, Beaver Creek, ancient volcanic formations, and natural meadows. Trails throughout the park allow you to discover the natural beauty that has awed visitors to the area since 1852. Camping here would be a wonderful opportunity to show the wonder of the California giants to the young and young at heart. What a better way to spend a night or two engulfed by the massiveness of these beautiful trees at Calaveras Big Tree SP. ~ Wondering about FamCamp and how you can take advantage of this opportunity to bring your organization to this amazing park? Check our bio, send us an email, or give us a call; we'll be happy to assist you. -OCI Team

Happy New Year California WALK-ers! And what a year it has been already. In 2020, we walked from Northern California all the way down to Southern California in just a few weeks. Covering over 500 miles. On top of that, we walked through Yellowstone, the first National Park, in just ONE WEEK! This year WALK California resolves to stay active and explore places unknown. We will begin by introducing an ambitious new adventure. Join us as WALK California Goes Cross Country!... Together we can stay connected and motivated as we log 7,127,050 steps (3,037 miles) in a route from California to Washington D.C. the first of many adventures this year. Participants have already started tracking. However, it’s never too late to join challenge, get a jump start on your resolutions - register with World Walking, join WALK California, and start tracking today! ~~~~~ What is WALK California? WALK California is an online community of outdoor enthusiasts. Through the World Walking online portal individuals can join the WALK California group. Group members log their activity and together track real time progress on a virtual journey. WALK California participants can share photos and chat about their local adventures. The World Walking portal tracks group and individual progress helping you visualize collective progress made overtime. It can be difficult to stay motivated when adopting a new habit. WALK California provides accountability through community support and the satisfaction of working towards and reaching goals. Just think, this time next year you could be looking back at all the places you walked in 2021 how many walks will you complete, how many miles will you log, take the first step today and join WALK California. -OCI Team

Hello everyone, Hope you all have a great holiday, and hope to see you all next year! -OCI Team

Hi everyone, It's been awhile! Hope everybody is doing well at home. Team OCI is coping with the current situation as best as we can. Recently, we partner up with the Dolores Huerta Foundation to provide a presentation on Environmental Justice for youth from fifth grade to high school. Below a small excerpt from our weekly newsletter, take a look! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Imagine taking a walk in the middle of the forest, listening to the sounds of rustling trees and thinking back to t...Continue reading

Good afternoon! There is a small change to the OYC schedule. You can see the updated flyer below. The April training dates has been moved to June 16-18. Let us know if you have any questions!