GGO Newsletter | October 2021 | gatewayoutdoors.org
Back at School with GGO

GGO is excited to start the new school year with our partner schools in St. Louis and Chicago. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, our partner schools will choose between our traditional in-person GGO programming and a virtual, online adaptation of the traditional model. Both programs will utilize the GGO curriculum and have the following units: the Environment and Us, Ecology, Earth Systems, Climate Change, and Community-Based Projects. 

In person programs will include field trips to working farms, rock climbing, Meramec Caverns, and more. We are hoping to end the year with a weekend camping trip with GGO Mentors, staff, and all their friends. We are so excited to get back to our weekly classroom lessons, monthly outdoor adventures, camping trips, and more!
Welcome our New Director of Education, Simone Wolynski

Gateway to the Great Outdoors welcomes our new Director of Education, Simone Wolynski to the team. Simone joined GGO in late August and is based in Chicago with roots in St. Louis.

You can learn more about Simone, as well as our other team members here. Welcome to GGO Simone!
Brain Teaser Bash • St. Louis Fall Fundraiser
Sunday, Oct. 24th • Tower Grove Park • St. Louis, MO

Join Gateway to the Great Outdoors in St. Louis for the inaugural Brain Teaser Bash through Tower Grove Park on Oct. 24th. Race through the park individually or as a team to complete a series of mind-bending puzzles, riddles, and logic challenges. Put your team’s wit to the test, have a blast, and compete for one of the top 3 prizes! 

The brain teasers are designed for teens 16+ and adults. The reservation fee is $20 for individuals or $75 for a team of 4. Festivities begin at 12:00 p.m. Meet at the Stone Shelter in Tower Grove Park - the hunt will start at 12:45 p.m.

While the hunt itself is for grownups, we will have plenty of activities for all ages including tie-dye, science demonstrations, popcorn, and refreshments (including hard seltzer and beer donated from UCBC). 

100% of the funds raised through this event will support St. Louis GGO programming.
Meet the New VISTA's!
Lilly Schwartz

Lilly is our new St. Louis External Partnership & Development Coordinator VISTA. Lilly holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Health with a minor in Political Science. She has a background working with students as a program facilitator, along with many volunteer experiences. We are excited to have her skills and experiences brought to the team!
Hannah Zonnevylle

Hannah is our new Chicago External Partnership & Development VISTA. Hannah has degrees in Earth and Environmental Sciences and Comparative Literature, as well as a minor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. We are happy to have her extensive environmental knowledge and dedication on our team!
Joyewel Hudson

Joywel is our new Chicago Internal Partnership & Development Coordinator VISTA. Joyewel received her BA in Arts with a concentration on Management and Administration. She has experience being a Branch Manager for over four years. We are eager to have her significant administration abilities brought to this group!
Elizabeth Anderson

Elizabeth earned her bachelor’s degree in English Literature from DePaul University in Chicago, where she is currently pursuing a Masters in Nonprofit Management. This is her third year as an AmeriCorps member, we are excited for her to bring her substantial experience to the team!
Nate Watts

Nate holds a degree in Recreation and Mass Communications. He has spent many years as a Lifeguard and CPR instructor for various organizations specializing in aquatics and recreational facility management. He has great experience running social media accounts, so we are happy to have him join the team!
April Sharelis

April received a bachelor's degree in Finance at UIC. While at university, she volunteered with numerous organizations, gaining valuable skills and experience. We are delighted to have her skill set on our team!
Congratulations Dr. Ekenga!

We are excited to announce that Dr. Christine Ekenga, GGO professor and environmental epidemiologist, has accepted a position as an Assistant Professor at Emory University. Congratulations Dr. Ekenga!

GGO looks forward to continuing to work with
Dr. Ekenga on evaluating the efficacy of the GGO program.
Thank you for Supporting GGO!
Thank you for supporting GGO's mission to provide low-income students across the US equitable access to comprehensive environmental education! We could not do what we do without the generosity of our supporters like you. Thank you for helping to keep GGO's mission ongoing and successful!
"GGO provides a critical outdoor experience for our students that we cannot provide during a regular academic program. The programing fits well within our normal school day and allows our students to learn practical outdoor skills and to experience the joy of outdoor activities This has been a vital partnership that focuses on not only providing experiences to our students but also builds a strong relationship between our students and the GGO volunteers. Camping with the fifth graders overnight and seeing their joy was one of the highlights of my year as a principal. Our students have loved their GGO experience this year, and we are so lucky to have GGO as a partner!"

Deborah Rogers, Ed.D.
Principal, Patrick Henry Downtown Academy
GGO Newsletter | October 2021 | gatewayoutdoors.org