By 2035, the Foundation will have supported 50,000 participant program days of park, trail, and water programming.

An important part of improving public spaces like parks, trails, and waterways is programming that invites people to experience them. The benefits of this approach are two-fold. Participants gain tangible health and wellness benefits by being active and connected to nature, and the physical condition and safety of these spaces is enhanced when more people appreciate and value them.

In order to create more opportunities for people to spend time outdoors, we are focusing on increasing the amount of participant program days across parks, trails, and waterways. We prioritize projects that invest in communities that have experienced the greatest barriers to accessing the benefits of the outdoors.

We recognize that there are many ways that organizations and communities can increase programming in our outdoor spaces. We are seeking to support projects and programs that organizations in Philadelphia and Camden believe will be most effective in making progress on the objective above. Possible efforts may include support for programs that enable people to experience public spaces by fostering a sense of safety, belonging, and joy; are shaped by community interest or demand; and support lasting engagement with the outdoors.

Progress toward achieving this objective will be monitored and measured through grantee reports of participant program days.