General sessions at 2023 Inside-Out Conference emphasize dismantling conventional systems

The 2023 Inside-Out International Conference will be held June 12-15 at YMCA of the Rockies, in Estes Park, Colorado. This premier professional development event brings together leaders from a broad range of disciplines, all committed to the health and well-being of children and communities.

The general sessions at this year’s Inside-Out Conference focus on dismantling conventional systems and (re)creating spaces and conditions for new ways of thinking, being and doing. Read on for a deeper dive into the sessions for each day of the conference and the inspiring leaders hosting each session.

Tuesday, June 13 – 10 a.m.

Transformative Education: Building CommUNITY with Reciprocity and Restoration with Reneé Chacon and Alica Fall

Hear from local Colorado leaders Renée and Alicia on raising awareness for restorative justice within and beyond our communities, the power in the Indigenous culture of biodiversity, and building sacred connections to the Earth and to each other.

Renée Chacon

Renée Chacon is Diné/Xicana/ Filipina with ancestors from Southern Colorado and New Mexico. She is a Sahumadora for Kalpulli ColorAztlan and is Co-founder and Executive Director of Womxn from the Mountain. She served on the Environmental Justice Action Taskforce for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Education and is currently a Councilwomxn for Ward 3 representing northern Commerce City and Henderson.

Alicia Fall

Alicia Fall is Founder and Visionholder of Her Many Voices Foundation and has been a lifelong doer and creator. Fall is a TEDx presenter, a recipient of the New York State Assembly Citation Award, and a board member for the Coalition Against Global Genocide and for Tiyospaye Winyan Maka — both as a representative for Indigenous Peoples.

Wednesday, June 14 – 10 a.m.

Earth Guardians on the Importance of Being Revolutionary

We are in the midst of a climate crisis and our young people are witnessing the world change drastically in their daily lives. Emmy, Maya, Tony, and Tyler will share how critical it is to be visionary in reimagining how we work, activate, and mobilize and how we must all be brave in reinventing our systems and selves.

Emmy Scott

Emmy Scott is a biracial Black activist and leader. As a child, Emmy remembers always being outside learning and interacting with nature. Her grandpa gave her access to a world outside the city that she fell in love with. Ever since, she has been passionate about expanding her learning about nature and our role as humans to protect the environment.

Maya Lazzaro

Maya Lazzaro has presented at the Smithsonian Museum, the Af3irm School of Activism, The New School and Columbia University. She is passionate about water conservation and protection, and regularly speaks and writes about decolonizing Indigenous healing wisdom, ecology, and sovereignty.

Tony Pérez Soto

Tony Pérez Soto is a young activist from Puntarenas, Costa Rica. He descends from the Chorotega and Huetar Indigenous groups. Tony was a Keynote speaker at the second Decorah Pride Parade in 2019 and has participated in a variety of panel conversations focusing on decolonization efforts.

Tyler Massias

Tyler Massias is an academic and a farmer, cultivating a meaningful relationship with the land, whilst sharing his wisdom with others. He has spoken at conferences, schools, protests and rallies across the country; and is a defender and guardian of our only home.

Thursday, June 15 – 9:30am

Ecologize and Joyify! Supporting Thrivability for All with Outdoorist Oath Co-Founder José González and Executive Director Gabaccia Moreno

This is a pivotal moment in our culture of rethinking ways of being and doing. Join José and Gabaccia for a conversation about the intersection of the planet, inclusion, and outdoor experience through a lens of sustainable ecology and accessible joy.

José González

José González is Founder of Latino Outdoors and Co-founder of The Outdoorist Oath. He is a professional educator with training in the fields of education and conservation while engaging in different artistic endeavors with art and messaging — often exploring the intersection of the environment and culture. As a Partner in the Avarna Group and through his own consulting, his work focuses on Equity and Inclusion frameworks and practices in the environmental, outdoor and conservation fields.

Gabaccia Moreno

Gabaccia Moreno is a first-generation Mexican-American multimedia storyteller, consultant, and passionate outdoor advocate of #ExploringResponsibly wherever life takes her. She currently serves as Executive Director of The Outdoorist Oath, an organization creating educational tools and models to help and encourage people to become allies for planet, inclusion, and adventure. She’s Director of Social Responsibility on the board of Hiking My Feelings and sits on the Joshua Tree National Park Association Diversity Council.

Follow this link to learn more about the Children & Nature Network’s Inside-Out International Conference and register for the 2023 conference, which will take place June 12-15 in Estes Park, Colorado.

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