NatureBridge in Yosemite

Applications for the 2025 NatureBridge in Yosemite Program have been reviewed and selected students were notified via email on December 20.  On January 6 paperwork and trip information was mailed to students and their parents/guardians via USPS.   The deadline to complete community service, return the paper forms, and register online with NatureBridge is March 3.

• NatureBridge Participant Registration Form
• Community Service Requirement and Ideas
• Community Service Verification Form
• Student Information Packet (includes bus schedule)
• Packing List

Orientation for students and parents/guardians will be via Zoom on Wednesday, March 26, at 6:00 p.m.   (LINK UNDER CONSTRUCTION).  The meeting is not mandatory; however, it is a good opportunity to learn what to expect during the week in Yosemite and ask questions.  If you cannot attend orientation, the Student Information Packet should have all the information you need.

For questions, cancellations, or anything else before the trip, contact Program Coordinator Ana Bachman at ana@mcconnellfoundation.org.

NatureBridge in Yosemite is a five-day outdoor environmental education program that The McConnell Foundation offers to North State students.  NatureBridge is a nonprofit organization that has provided environmental education  in partnership with the National Park Service since 1971.  In addition to Yosemite, NatureBridge offers programs in Olympic Park, Washington; Headlands Institute at Marin Headlands in the Bay Area; and Santa Monica Mountains Institute in Southern California.

In 1989, The McConnell Foundation began funding the Yosemite Program for students in the North State.  Each spring, high school sophomores and juniors from public high schools and public charter schools in Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama and Trinity counties, and Big Valley High School in Lassen County spend a transformative week in Yosemite. Groups of students, led by NatureBridge educators, explore the park and participate in discussions and activities designed to heighten awareness of the importance of our natural world.  Keeping this goal in mind, curriculum taught during the week aligns with state and federal standards.

The Foundation provides full funding for student tuition, transportation, and administration.  Adult chaperones from the schools served accompany students on the trip.  Students who participate in the program are selected by Yosemite Advisors at each high school. Once selected, participants must complete 8 hours of community service related to the environment in order to secure their spot. In past years students have volunteered at organizations such as the Shasta County Wildlife Refuge, Whiskeytown Environmental School, the Upper Sacramento River Exchange, Turtle Bay Exploration Park, and the Department of Fish & Game.  They have also cleaned up roadways and started recycling programs in their schools.  The goal of the community service requirement is to connect students their community and the earth.

The goal of the program is to inspire students to develop a connection to the natural world and empower them to act as responsible stewards of natural resources.