Parks in Focus provides opportunities for underserved middle school youth from the San Francisco Bay Area to learn about nature through photography. For many kids, a Parks in Focus trip is not only their first exposure to photography, but also their first visit to a national park — and even their first time hiking or camping.
This Conservancy-funded program provides immersive five-day expeditions for students from California youth organizations, such as Boys & Girls Clubs and the YMCA. During these summer camping trips, students meet with rangers and photographers, completed stewardship projects and discovered the park’s natural history. As they learn to use digital cameras to explore the environment, they develop a deep connection to their surroundings. The program culminates with a special exhibit of the students’ work at the Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite Valley.
By supporting Parks in Focus in 2016, your gifts helped kids see the natural world through a new lens and fall in love with the outdoors. Visit the Parks in Focus Flickr pool to see Yosemite photos taken by the 2016 participants!
Completed in partnership with Yosemite National Park, Udall Foundation and The Ansel Adams Gallery.