Outside Mind is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering equitable outdoor recreation access and opportunity for racial minority and underserved groups and families. Our core philosophy is that every individual should have easy and safe access to nature, benefiting their overall health, well-being and sense of joy and belonging to the outdoors.
Through advocacy efforts and the provision of year-round free outdoor recreational activities, we actively dismantle barriers that prevent people of color from fully experiencing and connecting with nature.
Creating an inclusive and welcoming community in nature is at the heart of our mission. We collaborate closely with local community partners to explore innovative solutions and drive transformative change in the outdoors. Your valuable contribution and support is highly welcomed as we work to achieve our mission.
Currently, our services extend to the North Shore, Massachusetts region and select areas within Greater Boston. We hope to expand our services in other MA regions in the future.
We envision a world where our communities are able to easily access and connect to the outdoors, freely belong and have the resources they need for adventure while building meaningful relationships with each other. We invite you to be a catalyst for positive change, empowering our communities to live joyful, adventurous, resilient, and healthy lives through nature connection and the great outdoors.
Jireh F. Ishaazi founded Outside Mind in 2021 driven by a vision to transform outdoor recreation through improved representation and adventure opportunity for underserved racial minority and immigrant groups.
Having experienced the challenges of being a person of color navigating outdoor spaces and encountering various barriers, Jireh embarked on a journey to make a difference outdoors.
As a dedicated social impact leader, Jireh is committed to empowering and enhancing the quality of life for black, brown and immigrant communities. She actively engages in local initiatives focused on Racial & Social Justice, Recreation Equity, Conservation Stewardship, Youth Development and Philanthropy.
Jireh firmly believes that creating meaningful change requires courage, love for others, a willingness to learn from history, active listening and respect for one another across differences, building bridges to enable bold action for a better future for all.
Jireh is an award recipient of Local Black Excellence by North Shore Juneteenth Association and the City of Lynn, MA. She is also an MBA candidate at Boston University Questrom School of Business and specializing in Social Impact.
To connect with Jireh, please reach out via email at jireh@outsidemind.org or find her on Instagram (@jirehishaazi) and LinkedIn (Jireh F. Ishaazi)