Santa Fe Youth Discover Outdoor Careers, Confidence and Connection on the Rio Grande
- Dave Gregorio
- Aug 6
- 4 min read
All Forward Foundation, Santa Fe YouthWorks and Santa Fe Rafting Company use outdoor recreation to advance youth development, career awareness and workforce readiness
SANTA FE, N.M. — July 30, 2026 — For 12 young people from Santa Fe, a recent rafting experience on the Rio Grande offered far more than outdoor adventure. It introduced them to an environment most had never experienced, careers they did not know existed, their responsibility as stewards of nature and personal capabilities they had not yet discovered.
The event brought together All Forward Foundation, Santa Fe YouthWorks and Santa Fe Rafting Company to demonstrate how outdoor recreation can serve as a platform for personal development, workforce preparation, mentorship and career exploration.
For most participants, the experience represented a series of important firsts.
Most had never traveled outside Santa Fe or spent meaningful time in a wilderness setting. Only one of the 12 participants had previously been on a river.
During one of the program’s 15 structured learning sessions, a participant who described himself as a “gamer” summarized the experience in a simple observation:
“I never realized how much I would enjoy the outdoors.”
That statement reflected one of the program’s central goals: giving young people opportunities to discover interests, strengths and career possibilities they may not encounter in their daily lives.
Many young people grow up near New Mexico’s extraordinary rivers and public lands without meaningful opportunities to experience them—or to recognize that the outdoor economy offers legitimate employment and career pathways. The rafting event was designed to help close that gap.
Before entering the river, participants learned the fundamentals of safety, communication and teamwork. Under the direction of experienced professional guides, they then navigated the Rio Grande together.
Every participant had a role. They had to listen, communicate, paddle as a team and adapt when conditions changed.
Those lessons extend well beyond rafting.
“Outdoor experiences create an unusually powerful environment for personal development,” said Dave Gregorio, founder of All Forward Foundation. “Young people quickly learn that their individual effort matters, but that success ultimately depends on the entire team communicating and adapting together.”
The event was part of All Forward Foundation’s Outdoor Immersives initiative, developed in collaboration with Santa Fe YouthWorks. The program combines hands-on outdoor experiences with structured experiential learning focused on professional skills, personal development, mentorship and career awareness.
Unlike a traditional recreational outing, the experience was intentionally designed to help participants connect what happened on the river with the expectations they will encounter in the workplace.
Preparation, dependability, communication, situational awareness, emotional regulation, confidence, goal setting, learning from failure and supporting others are essential qualities on a rafting team. They are also qualities valued by employers across nearly every industry.
Participants also interacted with outdoor professionals who have built careers around New Mexico’s rivers, public lands and visitor economy. Those conversations helped make the outdoor recreation industry more visible and understandable to young people who may never have considered guiding, hospitality, conservation, tourism or outdoor-business operations as possible career directions.
At the conclusion of the event, participants gathered for a celebratory barbecue and a structured reflection on what they had learned.
Nearly all reported that the experience had significantly increased their awareness of career opportunities they had not previously known existed. Participants also identified personal and professional skills they had not previously recognized in themselves.
Nearly all said they intended to spend more time participating in outdoor activities because of the experience.
Those responses suggest the event accomplished more than providing a memorable day on the river. It expanded participants’ understanding of what may be available to them in recreation, employment and life.
Santa Fe YouthWorks supports young people who face barriers to education and employment. Through partnerships with employers and community organizations, YouthWorks helps participants develop practical skills, earn credentials and move toward greater economic independence.
Santa Fe Rafting Company contributed professional guides, equipment and decades of river experience. As a locally owned outdoor business, the company represents the type of small enterprise that supports Santa Fe’s visitor economy while also providing accessible entry points into employment.
The collaboration reflects a broader opportunity for Northern New Mexico.
Outdoor recreation is often discussed in terms of tourism, conservation and personal wellness. It should also be recognized as a powerful platform for workforce development and youth engagement.
Rafting companies, guiding services, outfitters, hospitality businesses and conservation organizations need employees who are dependable, safety-conscious, comfortable working with the public and capable of contributing to a team.
Those skills can be introduced, practiced and demonstrated through thoughtfully designed outdoor programs.
All Forward Foundation was created by Gregorio as a post-retirement passion project focused on strengthening the connection between local outdoor businesses, workforce development and community opportunity. The organization supports outdoor recreation professionals while expanding access to outdoor experiences and career pathways for young people who have historically been underrepresented in the industry.
The rafting event demonstrated what can happen when nonprofit organizations, youth-development programs and local businesses work toward a shared objective.
Twelve young people began the experience with little or no familiarity with rivers, wilderness environments or outdoor careers. They left with greater confidence, increased awareness of employment possibilities and a stronger desire to spend time outdoors.
For some, the experience may become the beginning of a lasting appreciation for New Mexico’s rivers and public lands. For others, it may represent a first step toward employment as an outdoor professional, hospitality worker, conservation leader or business owner.
For the community, the event offered an important reminder: investing in young people does not always begin in a classroom.
Sometimes it begins with a paddle, a trusted mentor and the opportunity to step beyond the familiar and discover an entirely new world of possibilities.
