Created in partnership with the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation in 2021, New York State Parks’ Ladders to the Outdoors program launched with a goal to have children from underserved communities experience the outdoors at state parks in Erie and Niagara counties. Building upon the success of the Connect Kids to Parks program, which reimburses transportation costs for field trips, Ladders to the Outdoors staff members work closely with teachers and community leaders to plan visits and provide the equipment needed to create successful experiences.
Since the program’s inception, organizers have taken kids out on trail walks, fishing trips, bike rides, and to visit the New York State Fair. The program’s core mission “to connect kids to their New York State parks and historical sites, outdoor recreation, nature, and foster a lifelong love of the outdoors” remains the same today as it did at the outset, but now also features some welcome and expanded ambitions.
A group sporting Ladders to the Outdoors backpacks explores the New York State Fair.
All are welcome at New York State Parks and Historic Sites, but getting to our facilities isn’t always easy. People who don’t have cars, for example, are often left to navigate transportation barriers that prevent them from accessing outdoor recreation opportunities.
A group of adults and children experience the Maid Of The Mist at Niagara Falls through the Ladders to the Outdoors program.
KeJuan Harmon is actively working to bridge the access gap for kids to discover and experience the wonders of state parks firsthand. In his role as State Parks’ Statewide Ladders to the Outdoors Coordinator, Harmon is giving back to communities in Western and Central New York. As part of the Share Your Story project for our agency’s Centennial, he describes the magic that happens when kids experience the outdoors for the first time.
“One of the most surprising things since I started working with our State Parks is the invisible barrier of Niagara Falls, the amount of kids from within three or four miles of Niagara Falls that have never been.”
New York State Parks and Historic Sites Blog 