TWF’s Great Outdoors University (GOU) program recently expanded to include Nashville youth and families in its programming.  GOU Nashville models itself after its successful sister program in Memphis and is guided by the same mission: to connect kids with the great outdoors in meaningful, life-changing and lasting ways. 

Anna Ransler was hired in April to be the Program Coordinator for the Nashville program.  Ransler became familiar with GOU and its mission during the summer of 2008 when she interned for TWF and wrote grants for the program.  She is a graduate of the University of the South (Sewanee) and previously worked for the Tennessee House of Representatives and clerked for the Environment and Conservation Committee, Higher Education Subcommittee, and Wildlife Subcommittee.

GOU Nashville’s first trip was held on May 30^th, where an excited group of kids from Oasis Center arrived on a private farm in Spring Hill, Tennessee, for a fun-filled day of fishing.  It was a weekend to remember – over thirty fish were caught on Saturday to be taken back to Oasis, then filleted, cooked and eaten for a Sunday night feast.  The Oasis Center works to help young people in Metro Nashville and the surrounding counties overcome homelessness, violence, depression and low self esteem, disconnection, and failing schools.  

Since its launch in April of this year, GOU Nashville has formed partnerships with three youth organizations, including Oasis Center, Boy Scouts of America of Middle Tennessee’s Scoutreach, and Youth Encouragement Services.  Similar to the Scoutreach partner in Memphis, Scoutreach of Middle Tennessee serves urban and rural communities to ensure that culturally diverse youth have the opportunity to join the Scouting program.  Programming for Scoutreach is scheduled to begin in early September.     

Youth Encouragement Services (YES) is a youth program that strives to enrich the lives of children in inner-city Nashville through educational and recreational programs such as after school tutoring, a basketball league, and job skills training courses.  GOU will provide programming for the McIver West Nashville center beginning in October.

 For 2009, GOU Nashville is scheduled to have 13 Saturday trips, two weekend overnight trips in the fall, and one canoe training day.  To date, GOU has identified and recruited more than 40 instructors and volunteers to lead the trips, including Warner Park naturalists, TWF Board Members, Cheekwood Botanical Garden professionals, and members of local sports groups.  Trip destinations for 2009 will include Warner Parks, Shelby Bottoms Park, Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, Henry Horton State Park, Camp Marymount, the Harpeth River, and private farms in the surrounding area.