Reeling in smiles

Big Gumdrop Outdoors connects underserved youth to nature with help from their first-ever grant

By Mary Kay Roth 

Growing up in Lincoln, Elijah Riley always loved the outdoors. A self-taught young man in archery and hunting – you could often find him going fishing with his dad, camping with his family and building fires in Cub Scouts. 

But he soon noticed other kids like him – underserved minority children – were not experiencing nature and felt uncomfortable or afraid outdoors. 

So, while only in his early 20s, with his own sweat and money, Elijah was on a mission to create Big Gumdrop Outdoors – a nonprofit with a focus on helping underserved children discover the wonder of Mother Nature.  

"I believe the outdoors is for everyone, and it’s my mission to make sure no kid feels like they don’t belong,” he said. “The wild is waiting – all we have to do is step outside." 

Until recently Elijah provided the funding for his endeavor, but last year Big Gumdrop Outdoors received their very first chance for outside support – an Open Door Grant from the Lincoln Community Foundation. 

“It was for $3,000 and that was just huge for us,” said Elijah. “We are so grateful to the Foundation for not only supporting us, but for providing opportunities to all of Lincoln’s nonprofits and smaller organizations. We’re now able to go into summer, our busiest season, confident we’re making a difference for our youth.” 

Today, Big Gumdrop Outdoors operates after-school clubs, summer programs and monthly community events designed to meet kids where they are.  And Elijah envisions so much more, fostering a generation of outdoor enthusiasts that are diverse, empowered and deeply connected to the land. 

“We are driven by an urgent reality,” he said. “Too many children are growing up disconnected from nature with serious implications for their health, development and futures.” 

Elijah explained that today’s children play more on concrete than dirt. Youth ages 8-18 spend an average of 7.5 hours a day on screens, a staggering 114 days per year. Research indicates that such overreliance on digital devices is linked to higher rates of depression and anxiety, inadequate sleep, low self-esteem, poor body image, eating disorders and online harassment. 

“Put those kids in nature,” Elijah said with a huge smile. “You’ll see transformation.”  

“There’s joy on their faces when they experience the excitement of catching their first fish and embracing the outdoors.” 

Elijah found his solace in nature starting at a very young age with dad time and Cub Scouts.   

“As I got older, I watched History and Discovery channels, wildlife shows, hunting documentaries and adventure series. I wanted to grow up and hunt alligators,” he said. 

He took a detour in high school when he played football at Lincoln High, but three knee surgeries sidelined the teenager and brought him straight back to the outdoors – eventually starting a social media presence to document his nature experiences. 

During a semester abroad in college, he gave a presentation about his fledging business to his entrepreneurship class. 

“One of my peers challenged me,” said Elijah. “She asked, ‘If your goal is to teach underserved youth about the outdoors, what are you actually doing to give them access?’" 

A lightbulb went on – his mission was solid. 

Upon his arrival back to the states, Elijah immediately began real-world networking, creating lesson plans and, in the summer of 2023, Big Gumdrop launched its first eight-week program with the Clyde Malone Community Center. 

“I designed the curriculum all by myself. I wanted kids to learn about ecosystems, put up tents, fish and cook over campfires,” he said. 

He taught them about corn production (corn stalks to corn-on-the-cob to corn in the can) – planting pumpkin seeds, matching animals with appropriate ecosystems and identifying wildlife calls. 

Midway through college, Elijah was officially the founder and executive director of Big Gumdrop Outdoors, a nonprofit dedicated to educating urban youth about nature.   

Growing in bits and pieces, the organization now offers after-school programs through the Lincoln Public Schools Community Learning Centers, as well as several summer programs. 

And the list of lessons and activities has broadened as well, now serving up everything from conservation storytelling (with lessons in photography and videography), to building campfires and cooking hot dogs, to getting coached in the lures, baits, rods and reels of fishing and experiencing area parks and lakes through field trips. 

In December 2024, Elijah graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and was hired by Ducks Unlimited as a Youth Engagement Coordinator for the Great Plains region. 

But his focus remains on teaching essential wilderness skills that inspire the next generation to explore the outdoors and consider careers in natural resources. 

And he continues to stretch his scope.   

Big Gumdrop has branched out to hosting monthly community events such as nature walks in Wilderness Park, fishing and kayaking clinics, and more. 

Last year he looked to provide ongoing support for Big Gumdrop by engaging in fundraisers, as well as submitting their first grant application to Lincoln Community Foundation. 

“Receiving the grant from LCF moved our bottom line,” he said. “I can’t begin to describe the affirmation this has given us. We are grateful for all the people who have offered support, and we’re excited to think about what long-term sustainability can look like.” 

Of course, he dreams even bigger – hoping to take the Gumdrop formula beyond Lincoln –to Omaha, Kearney and places throughout Nebraska. 

“Our goal is to create a pipeline where we begin working with children in elementary school, move to their feeder middle school and work with them again in their high schools,” he shared. “The high school students could serve as mentors to the younger kids, and we could provide internships and scholarship opportunities to develop deeper connections to the outside world.” 

Elijah believes he’s had good fortune in his life, starting with a less-than-flattering nickname in school – Gumdrop – and turning it into something positive. 

“It seems like all the stars have aligned and I am feeling quite blessed,” he said. 

He remembers when he was a boy and a Cub Scout leader taught him how to build a fire. 

“He changed my life, yet he never really realized the impact he had on me,” he said. “Now I watch all these kids out in nature, learning new skills – and I wonder how we will change their lives.”