Urban Nature Partners PDX

Urban Nature Partners PDX empowers youth in underserved areas of Portland through building long term mentoring relationships and providing access to meaningful outdoor experiences.Mentor-youth activities take place in easily accessible outdoor areas in and around Portland, are driven by the interests and abilities of each youth, are relevant to a young person’s culture and background, and sometimes include their family members and peers.

UNP-PDX incorporates the best practices of traditional mentoring in establishing meaningful, long-term relationships that help young people build confidence, resiliency, problem solving skills, social competency, and academic success, and help prevent problem behaviors. It also draws upon best practices in education and outdoor recreation by providing informal environmental learning through direct inquiry and experience, and building a sense of place through the exploration of one’s natural environment. Combining the best of these disciplines together on one program provides young people with a uniquely relevant and long term series of opportunities that build better health and well being, teach them about the outdoors and potential career opportunities, and help them become empowered to make their own decisions and succeed in other parts of their young lives.