Project Get Outdoors (Project GO) was established in 2005 and provides training to community organization leaders and volunteers to help connect kids with nature. Project GO programs have been offered at community centers, boys and girls clubs, recreation centers, libraries, and low-income housing complexes. In 2025, the non-profit received a $4,000 community grant from the Winona Community Foundation to develop and lead a training workshop for 40 mental health professionals who work with students in Winona Area Public Schools to incorporate nature-based activities into their practices.
Speaker panel at the Healing Waters Workshop in August 2025, held at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum
The training workshop, which was approved by the MN Board of Social Work, had 25 participants and an additional 13 guest presenters. Therapists who are already offering nature-based therapy experiences shared tips and discussed challenges they faced. As a result of the workshop, Winona area mental health professionals were educated on the importance of nature connection for mental wellbeing for kids.
“We received excellent feedback about the training,” shared Project GO Program Coordinator, Sara Holger. She also added, “We need to continue to educate and inform the greater community about the importance of connecting to nature for wellbeing so, one day, funding will be dedicated specifically to programs that embrace and support nature-based wellness.”
To learn more about Project Get Outdoors, visit mnprojectgo.org.
An important part of the Winona Community Foundation’s mission is realized though awarding community grants to meet the ever-changing needs of the community. Funding for this program comes from generous people, like you, who invest in the community and the Foundation. Whether through direct donations, establishing endowments, or holding charitable funds at the Foundation, these diverse sources of funding are instrumental in supporting the community grant program. As a result, local nonprofits in the Winona area greatly benefit from this program, which has become an essential asset in meeting the needs of the community.
