Abstract
Project Get Outdoors, LLC, or Project GO, is a non-profit organization based in Wabasha, Minnesota. The organization’s mission is to provide outdoor experiences that develop healthy kids, particularly for underprivileged and marginalized youth. They do this through training and supporting Southeastern Minnesota community organization leaders and volunteers. Project GO provides three types of outdoor training including Early Childhood Training, Traditional Leadership Training, and Minnesota Master Naturalist Training. The organization has served over 500 adults and 50,000 youth in its 20 years of operation. This project uses research and analysis to uncover strategic and creative solutions to address how Project GO can solve its core problem of low training participant numbers. Primary and secondary research were conducted for this project which included census data reports, social media analysis, and interviews. The research showed that the Covid-19 pandemic reduced training participants by more than two-thirds, impacting Project GO’s financial stability. It also showed a need to increase external communications in order to highlight Project GO’s training opportunities. If the organization does not increase participant numbers, it may not continue to operate at its current capacity or continue to grow. The strategy that will be used to overcome this problem is a creative campaign called Get Outdoors and Explore. The campaign is built on the idea that Project GO is where educated adults empower youth to get outdoors and explore. By implementing the recommendations found in this project, Project GO can ensure an increase in training participants, build a strong community presence, and ultimately fulfill its mission of getting marginalized and underrepresented youth outdoors.
Date of Award
7-21-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Strategic Communication
Department
Mass Communication
First Advisor
Stacey Kanihan
Location
Winona, Minnesota
Recommended Citation
Mettin, Elizabeth, "Project GO, Project Grow: Increasing Participation in Environmental Education" (2025). Strategic Communication Master of Arts Thesis Projects. 10.
https://openriver.winona.edu/strat-comm-thesis-projects/10
Unique Identifier
WSUMCOMSTRATCOMM-ETD-2025-Mettin
Rights
All rights reserved by the author.
