The Youth in the Great Outdoors initiative is a cornerstone of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is a critically important strategy for achieving the agency's mission over the long term. In fiscal year 2012 the Service continued its long tradition of providing programs that engage, educate, and employ millions of young people, their families, educators, and caregivers. The service also made important advances in building our capacity to sustain this initiative over the long term.