Laura Rodriguez

Laura Rodriguez is driven by a commitment to access, inclusion, and community empowerment. For over 14 years, Laura’s career has centered on supporting communities in gaining access to healthcare, social services, education, and most recently, access to the outdoors. As Director of Programs for Youth Outside, Laura is guided by her values of equity and inclusion, which inform the relationships she maintains and the programs she designs and implements. Her passion for the outdoors is matched by her desire to effect change within the outdoor field; and to this end, she approaches the work of racial equity, inclusion, and cultural relevancy with resolve, authenticity, and empathy.

Laura's stories

Youth Outside and BEETLES: A Partnership Making Environmental Education More Equitable

In service of CAELI’s commitment to centering equity and justice throughout the environmental literacy field, we are highlighting the partnership between Youth Outside and BEETLES at the Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley, which is improving the quality and cultural relevance of outdoor science education. Over the past several years, these two groups have partnered to examine environmental education programs and practices through an equity lens, and created critical resources for other organizations.