Outdoor Equity Fund Recipients Announced

State awards $2.2M to connect 22,000 youth with outdoor programs

Contact: Michelle Simon

Michelle.Simon@edd.nm.gov

(505) 439-2320

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

October 1 , 2025

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham

Cabinet Secretary Rob Black

Deputy Cabinet Secretary Isaac Romero

ORD Director Karina Armijo

State awards $2.2M to connect 22,000 youth with outdoor programs

Outdoor Equity Fund grants 61 programs in 17 counties

SANTA FE – The New Mexico Economic Development Department awarded $2,178,029 through its Outdoor Equity Fund to 61 programs that will provide outdoor education and career training to more than 22,000 youth across the state, with a special emphasis on low-income families and Tribal communities.

The Outdoor Recreation Division (ORD) is funding programs that provide hands-on outdoor education for young people from low-income families, with 14 serving Tribal communities. Recipients will provide over $1.7 million in matching funds, multiplying the impact. Forty of the awarded programs offer workforce development that connects youth directly to meaningful careers in New Mexico’s outdoors.

“It’s no surprise that the outdoor recreation industry is a significant economic driver in New Mexico,” said EDD Cabinet Secretary Rob Black . “Our state is exceptionally beautiful, and we want to ensure that future generations can enjoy the benefits of outdoor activities and become our future environmental stewards, no matter their abilities or income level.”

A record-breaking 140 applications and $4.9 million in funding requests were received in the first round of the FY26 Outdoor Equity Fund grant program.

Since 2020, ORD has awarded over $8.6 million in Outdoor Equity Fund grants, connecting more than 106,000 youth from 23 counties to high-quality, educational outdoor programming.

“Thanks to the support of our legislators and the Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund, this year’s Outdoor Equity Fund awards will give more than 22,000 young people across New Mexico the chance to experience the outdoors in meaningful ways,” ORD Director Karina Armijo explained. “These programs strengthen communities and foster connections to the landscapes and cultures that make our state unique.”

From bike tech classes in rural school districts that will equip students with workforce skills, outdoor career training, and cultural reconnection programs for disabled Native youth, and outdoor access programs in urban communities that offer free gear rental and bilingual instruction for activities like fishing, gardening, and skateboarding, this round of awarded programs reflects the breadth of New Mexico’s diverse communities.

These programs remove barriers, giving all New Mexico youth the opportunity to experience the health benefits of outdoor activities and explore career pathways in recreation, conservation, and leadership. View the full list of recipients and project descriptions at www.nmoutside.com/news .

FY26 Round 1 Outdoor Equity Fund Grant recipients include:

Bernalillo County

Big Brothers Big Sisters, $40,000

CYCLE Kids, $40,000

Explora Science Center and Children's Museum of Albuquerque, $40,000

Hero's Path Palliative Care, $40,000

Nature Niños, $40,000

Revitalize San Pedro Partnership, $40,000

Robert F. Kennedy Charter School, $30,000

Siembra Leadership High School, $40,000

Stem is Childs Play Foundation, $30,000

Talking Talons Youth Leadership, $40,000

The Global Warming Express, $40,000

The Semilla Project, $40,000

Colfax County

City of Raton Recreation Department, $39,700

Doña Ana County

Doña Ana Village Association, $40,000

Friends of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks, $40,000

La Casa, Inc., $12,073

Nature Friends, $7,342

Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project, $40,000

Southern New Mexico Mountain Biking (SNMTB), $40,000

Grant County

Earth Ways Inc, $38,880

Gila Resource Information Project, $20,000

Youth Mural Program (Gila Community Foundation), $40,000

Guadalupe County

Anton Chico Schools, $40,000

Hidalgo County

Bootheel Youth Association, $40,000

Lea County

Future Innovators Academy, $20,000

McKinley County

Hozho Academy, $40,000

Zuni Youth Enrichment Project, $40,000

Otero County

Sugar Hill Pathways, Inc., $40,000

Rio Arriba County

El Rito Public Library, $27,000

Future Focused Education, $40,000

Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, $40,000

Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project, $40,000

Tewa Women United, $40,000

Trout Unlimited, Inc., $37,245

San Juan County

Aztec Municipal School District, $26,000

Farmington Area Single Track, $40,000

Indigenous Futures 4EVER, $40,000

International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA), $25,000

Tribal Adaptive Organization, $40,000

San Miguel County

River Source (Partners in Education Foundation), $30,000

Village of Pecos, $40,000

Sandoval County

Adaptive Sports Program New Mexico, $32,153

Earth’s Birthday Project (DBA Celebrate Planet Earth), $40,000

Jemez Community Development Corporation, $40,000

NACA Inspired Schools Network (NISN), $40,000

Pueblo of Jemez, $40,000

Santa Fe County

Institute for Applied Ecology, $28,500

Monte Del Sol Charter School, $40,000

Mountain Kids NM, Inc., $40,000

National Audubon Society, $39,821

Partners in Education Foundation for the Santa Fe Public Schools, $35,000

Santa Fe Children's Museum, $40,000

Santa Fe Conservation Trust, $18,000

Sierra County

The Club, $40,000

Taos County

Field Institute of Taos, $40,000

Friends of Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, $39,589

Picuris Pueblo Diabetes Program, $24,726

Taos Land Trust, $40,000

Taos Pueblo Working on Wellness, $25,000

Valencia County

Kiksuyapi Collective, $35,000

Village of Los Lunas Open Space, $37,000

The Club will build confidence, teamwork, and leaderships skills in Sierra County youth through outdoor adventures .

The City of Raton will use…