Outdoor Afro

About

Outdoor Afro focuses on health and wellness through our cornerstone programs, Making Waves (MW) and the Volunteer Leader Program (VLP) as well as through the launch of our brand new app! We will be (1) measuring the mental/emotional health benefits of the VLP work we do today using wellness surveys, (2) attempting to bend the curve on drowning deaths in Black communities with MW, and (3) launching wellness experiences on the new Outdoor Afro app.

Categories Program Adults Children & Youth Community & Advocacy

Program Details

Outdoor Afro is a national nonprofit that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. We are advancing health and wellness outcomes in Black communities through three flagship efforts: our Volunteer Leader Program (VLP), Making Waves (MW), and our newly launched Outdoor Afro app.

Through our VLP, we train and support over 100 volunteer leaders across the country to organize local nature-based experiences for their communities. These experiences foster a deeper connection to nature, reduce social isolation, and promote emotional resilience. Additionally, we are implementing wellness surveys to measure the mental and emotional health benefits of this community-centered programming.

Our MW program addresses a critical public health issue: the disproportionate drowning rates among Black youth. By training individuals in water safety and swim instruction while creating joyful, culturally resonant experiences in and around water, we aim to bend the curve on preventable water related deaths in Black communities.

Our Outdoor Afro app, launched in July 2025, is our newest tool to scale access and impact. The app offers curated wellness experiences, event registration, and health-focused content designed to make it easier for our network to connect, heal, and thrive in nature.

Contact Rue Mapp, CEO/Founder engage@outdoorafro.org Outdoor Afro Outdoor Afro App

Population Served
Black individuals and families throughout the US. By the numbers:

60K participation network
32 states
60+ cities
117 volunteer leaders
1400 events

Cost to Participate
There is typically no cost to participate in trips hosted by our volunteer leaders, with the exception of multi-day or more involved/elevated trips.

Our app is free, but as we expand our app offerings, we may offer more paid or partnered trips.

Regarding Making Waves, the program covers the cost of swim lessons for children and their caregivers up to $400 per family.

Staff Composition
Learn more about our staff, board of directors, and regional volunteer leaders here.

A Making Waves child and adult smile underwater wearing goggles

Volunteer Leaders participate in the Capstone experience held in Moab, Utah. They all stand in a line, holding mountain bikes on red clay ground.

An Outdoor Afro leader guides two young participants with pink swim caps through the water in an indoor pool as they joyfully learn how to swim.

A Making Waves recipient gets ready for the indoor pool with goggles on his head.

A large group of Volunteer Leaders proudly pose for a photo and wear matching black Outdoor Afro shirts at the annual Leadership Training event.

Five participants in cold weather and ice climbing gear take a picture in front of a snow-covered hill to celebrate their winter adventure.

A participant in a yellow sweatshirt sits cross-legged in a grassy area and closes her eyes in concentration during a mental wellness moment.

An Outdoor Afro participant stands on a mossy rock in the middle of a river and casts a fishing line. Surrounding the river bank are more mossy rocks and forest undergrowth.

A Making Waves participant is leaning back in the water while being supported by another individual

Outdoor Afro in the Media

Sunset
Read: This Oakland-Based Org Is Continuing to Shift Nature’s Narrative Around Black Joy

FOX KTVU
Watch: Outdoor Afro

Travel Noire
Read: Black-led Nonprofit Confronts Drowning Disparities with Swim Scholarships

The Western
Read: Rue Mapp Wants to Connect

Ebony
Read: Venus Williams Partners With Clif Bar on New Initiative to Advance Equity and Access to the Outdoors

Recent Case Studies

People sitting on stepped concrete seating in a gently sloping grassy hillside.

Place

Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park, Phase 1

The Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park project restored native ecology and includes pedestrian-friendly walkways, a 2,000-seat amphitheater, and a four-acre lawn.

People walk along a gravel path with benches and a waterway in the background.

Place

Muscota Marsh

The restoration of Muscota Marsh in New York City created public waterfront access through land owned by Columbia University while restoring habitat, increasing biodiversity, and improving stormwater management.

People walking and riding bicycles on a path with tall grass on either side of the path and mountains in the background.

Place

Story Mill Community Park

Encompassing 60 acres, Story Mill includes 40 acres of nature preserve with restored wetlands, aspen groves, open meadows, and the East Gallatin River, and 20 acres offering educational and recreational opportunities to engage community members and accommodate gatherings.