This program offers youth who have completed a WildLink expedition the chance to further their educational and professional development by participating in an intensive two-week career exploration in Yosemite.

With your support in 2015, WildLink Career Connection students spent two weeks in Yosemite learning from more than 45 park professionals, working on stewardship projects in Mariposa Grove and Tuolumne Meadows, and completing a wilderness patrol to Cathedral Lakes. They gained valuable exposure to jobs within the National Park Service and with Yosemite’s partner organizations, applying the skills and knowledge they gained from their WildLink expedition experiences to explore tangible paths to public-lands careers. Many program graduates go on to pursue education and careers in science and environmental fields, including in the National Park Service.

Your support helped teens draw on their experiences in the Yosemite Wilderness to being shaping long-term education and career goals.

Note: As of 2016, the WildLink expeditions and WildLink Bridge/WildLink Career Connection have become one unified program, called WildLink.

Completed in partnership with Yosemite National Park, WildLink, NatureBridge, and Delaware North Companies Parks and Resorts.

Jesse Chakrin

Project Manager, Wilderness & Protection

Project Notes

This program contributes to the development of a diverse workforce by connecting youth participants with professional role models in the park, providing opportunities for job skill development, and providing assistance with the costs of higher education. A diverse workforce enhances the experience for all visitors through multi-lingual programming, inclusive and culturally sensitive program development, and better informed park management decisions.