The Gray Family Foundation's mission is to support environmental education that connects K-12 youth with the natural and built environments, fostering outdoor experiences and climate education. The foundation aims to inspire formal and informal educational settings to integrate environmental learning, prioritizing programs that serve or benefit primarily K-8 students in Oregon.
The Gray Family Foundation's grant program focuses on supporting the planning and implementation of outdoor school programs for 5th and 6th grade students in Oregon, particularly in regions or amongst communities with limited access to such opportunities. The program includes three types of grants: planning grants for schools or districts aiming to launch or revise outdoor school programs; planning grants for outdoor school program providers to enhance their capacity for delivering culturally responsive and high-quality programming; and program grants for schools or student groups currently ineligible for OSU Extension outdoor school funding, including private, charter, and homeschool students. The overarching goal is to ensure that outdoor school experiences are available to all Oregon students, fostering a deeper connection with and stewardship of the natural world.