Tylenol
Short description
Plans for a great adventure.
Identity
If outdoor brands are cool, HBCUs are cooler. HBCUs Outside needed an identity that could proudly sit around the campfire with the best of them.
Platform
A bullhorn for campus ambassadors, digital resources for students, industry integrations, and inspiration for all; the initial site helped shape the org.
Activation
We raised startup capital with a grassroots fundraiser / direct action, getting hundreds of people of color and their supporters to hit the trails.
Partnerships
Brands proved eager to support the mission as it gathered momentum. Many have established real and ongoing partnerships.
A symbol to guide the journey.
Progressive Tradition
To lead the industry forward, a modern mark was called for. Commanding recognition that Black culture is not new to the outdoors required that the mark have heritage. Clean design and a timeless navigational symbol strikes the balance.
Collective Strength
A constellation, with each star contributing to a greater whole, represents the synergy of 107 Historically Black Colleges and Universities collaborating with each other, outdoor brands, and an array of non-profit organizations.
Inclusive Advancement
HBCUs Outside welcomes novices and offers pathways for those ready to venture further. The familiarity of the North Star and advanced navigational utility of the Ursa constellations express this dynamic range.
A platform for all.
The website site needs to support on-campus student ambassadors, create professional development opportunities, and engender ongoing support from the industry. That’s a lot of constituents but collaboration is how big stuff gets done.
First-class expeditions are shown in a premium feeling showcase. Commercial trips, open to students, alumni, and their guests, create outdoor leadership opportunities for student-ambassadors and will eventually help the org become self-sustaining.
Itineraries are presented according to industry best-practices.
The site features the voices of HBCUs Outside adventurers and often pairs them with brands to provide commissions as well as industry experience to the students.
The site features a calendar for virtual and in-person events, hosted by student ambassadors, for anyone with a vaild hbcu email address.
A diy kit provides discounts and resources to help overcome barriers, from gear rentals to safer space reccos. A free gear library is maintained for all ambassador programs.
Recruiting more student ambassadors and an administrative/marketing role, the organization is modular, activating additional campuses each year.
Activation.
We crowdsourced startup capital with a virtual trail run which also served as a direct action, filling trails with people of color and their allies.
Announcement posts featured a simple template over trail photos and a swipe-up or link-in-bio to register.
We recruited NYC run clubs to host nine in-person events on trails in and around New York City.
Allies lent support, rallying their audiences to give a warm intersectional welcome to HBCUs Outside.
Shoutouts to participants and leaderboards for teams rounded out the social messages.
Getting down to business.
While we rallied energy in social media with our activation, HBCUs Outside’s founder set up a series of meetings with top brands to offer a range of ways to partner, from sponsorships and content creation to professional development and recruiting.
Pitching the industry.
Presentations tailored for many of the outdoor industry’s biggest brands made clear asks for financial and product support, but also prime employment opportunities for HBCUs Outside participants and staff. The encouraging response represents a real path forward.
Major contributions, in the forms of financial support, extensive gear commitments, and professional opportunity development were provided by these companies and others.
“Christopher has been instrumental in shaping our organization to sustainably advance diversification of the outdoors. We’re prepared to be a bridge for HBCU students and recent graduates, the best and brightest of America’s future Black leaders, who want to recreate outdoors or even work in the outdoor industry.”
— Ron Griswell, Founder HBCUs Outside
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