ELK has spent more than 27 years building an inclusive and diverse community of inspired environmental stewards in Colorado.
Inspire
youth to have high expectations of themselves by exposing them to the outdoors and engaging them in service-learning projects. For many of the youth ELK serves, it’s their first experience with the outdoors.
Educate
youth through science and environmental
education embedded in all of our programs and activities,
furthering students’ understanding and attitudes toward
science, the outdoors, their communities, college, and
careers
Transform
youth by endowing them with increased academic skills, civic and community leadership, environmental stewardship, and employment opportunities.
Our Mission
Cultivating a diverse community of leaders and environmental stewards by increasing outdoor equity.
Our Vision
We envision a world in which all people are caretakers of themselves, each other, and the natural world.
Our Values
Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Social-Emotional Learning
Accessibility to Nature
Life-long Experiential Learning
Our Impact

Our Programs are FREE for ELK Families
We love our ELK families! If your child is anywhere from 5 to 25 years old, we encourage you to enroll. Our programs are absolutely FREE for families.