It’s never too early to start inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards! Over a four-year period, this project delivered environmental education to local elementary and high school students, connecting young people with the legacy of Yosemite and the national park system at a vital time in their personal and academic development.

In 2016, the final year of this important initiative, hundreds of students participated in field trips, ranger-led programs and stewardship projects. After graduation, alumni from the high school class of 2016 participated in a celebratory symposium in the park, which included a day of learning about natural resources while restoring monarch butterfly habitat. The 2016 activities focused on celebrating the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service — and the next 100 years of protecting public lands.

Your gift helped Yosemite solidify strong relationships with local schools and shape the next generation of national park stewards. Thank you for supporting your park!

Completed in partnership with Yosemite National Park, National Park Foundation and NatureBridge, as well as with gateway schools and other Youth in Yosemite Programs.

 

Shauna Potocky

Director of Education and Youth Program

Project Notes

Programming is broken into specific emphasis areas: Kindergarten – 12 Grade; accessibility programming for youth with physical challenges; and Youth In Yosemite programming. The reach of this initiative is expanded by engaging underserved audiences—such as youth with physical challenges. Through this delivery, Yosemite National Park is leading the way service-wide by serving as a model for program implementation.