06-03-24 Movement Education Outdoors
Joann Ayuso, Founder and Executive Director, Movement Education Outdoors
Movement Education Outdoors (MEO) takes place on Narragansett, Pokanoket, Nipmuc and Wampanoag land and teaches youth the history of Indigenous peoples and their practices on the land. MEO shares the stories of ancestors of color who moved through these spaces and explains how their histories connect to environmental injustices in the landscape today.
Founder Jo Ayuso is a community collaborator who practices hands-on healing, poetry, love for food and the outdoors, with an emphasis on social justice, honoring ancestors and undoing negative perceptions of the outdoors and wellness. She has been working as a self-care educator for 21 years and holds an MS in Exercise Science and Physiology. Working in health care, fitness and education has shaped her communication as well as her desire to work in community with Black and Brown farmers and youth.
Through MEO, Jo leads outdoor activities such as hiking, kayaking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, water and air quality testing, mindfulness and movement practices. Through these activities, youth learn to reclaim ancestral practices and knowledges and work towards justice for their communities. They become both mindful stewards of their bodies and environmental leaders. In this episode, Jo shares the MEO model of education, her social justice perspective and the ways she has been able to develop numerous community collaborations.
INFORMATION RESOURCES
Learn more about MEO – https://meoutdoorsri.com/
Donate to MEO – https://meoutdoorsri.com/donate
Volunteer for MEO – https://meoutdoorsri.com/volunteer
Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer and Monique Gray Smith –https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/braiding-sweetgrass-for-young-adults-a-guide-to-the-indigenous-wisdom-scientific-knowledge-and-the-teachings-of-plants_robin-wall-kimmerer/34171843/item/52523567/
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