Outdoor Accessibility & Education Award – Presented by OUTSIDE Interactive, Inc.

Adaptive Adventures provides and establishes sustainable outdoor recreation opportunities for individuals with physical disabilities and their families in the most underserved communities across the country, providing freedom through mobility and normalizing adaptation in the outdoors. As the only fully mobile adaptive recreation program in the country, Adaptive Adventures brings the programs to the people, removing barriers including location, equipment needs and economic status. Unlike most site-based adaptive sports programs, Adaptive Adventures includes the family and provides all programs free of charge. Adaptive Adventures acts as a catalyst in unserved and underserved communities by establishing sustainable programming through collaboration, training, equipment, resources and administrative support.

Catalyst Sports creates life-changing opportunities for people with physical disabilities by making the outdoors more accessible. The organization believes adventure is for everyone and works to break down the physical, social and systemic barriers that prevent people with disabilities from experiencing it. Through adaptive outdoor sports like climbing, cycling, paddling and skiing, Catalyst Sports provides access to nature, education, training and support that builds confidence, independence and community. Programs are designed to meet individuals where they are — physically and geographically — using specialized equipment, trained volunteers and partnerships with land managers. At Catalyst, outdoor accessibility is more than ramps and trails; it’s about changing mindsets, building inclusive systems and fostering education that empowers both participants and communities alike.

City Kids Wilderness Project's mission is to build resiliency, broaden horizons, cultivate community and develop skills for success in DC youth through a long-term, cohort-based model that utilizes both the wilderness and urban environments to encourage growth. City Kids aims to inspire youth to use their personal power to shape the future of their own lives and change in the greater community. The organization serves youth (ages 11- 21) in DC and Jackson, WY through year-round summer, weekend, school break, after school, college access and career support, and alumni support programming. Since their 1996 inception, the organization has served over 500 DC youth. 78% of the current participants are eligible for free or reduced school lunch and 65% come from the most disinvested wards.

"We do not want easy, we want possible.” North Carolina Adapted Sports believes in building an inclusive and equitable community where people with physical disabilities have the same opportunities to get out and play as their able-bodied peers. NCAS has established over 15 miles of accessible trails for adapted off-road cycling, an adapted kayaking program and youth wheelchair basketball teams via partnerships with local municipalities, organizations and nonprofits. In the area, there are approximately 130k people living with a mobility impairment; the need to provide recreational and competitive sporting opportunities is great.

Starlight Children’s Foundation Canada is a charitable organization dedicated to bringing joy, relief and unforgettable moments to seriously ill children and their families. Through adaptive sports and accessible outdoor programs like Motomax and Drive For Smiles, Starlight gives kids of all illnesses and abilities the chance to experience ATVs, snowmobiles, hovercrafts and luxury dream cars‚ activities they are often excluded from due to mobility challenges, medical limitations or financial hardship. For these children, tomorrow isn’t always guaranteed‚ so Starlight helps make today count. By prioritizing inclusion and fun, Starlight helps under-resourced youth escape hospital walls and reclaim their childhood. Whether it's a ride through the woods or a moment of peace on the water, these programs offer more than a thrill; they offer freedom, connection and the chance to just be a kid, while they still can.