At NatureBridge, we believe environmental science education should be a part of every young person's life. We open student's minds to the wonder and science of nature and ignite in them the courage to take action and to make the world a healthier place. National Parks—Yosemite, Golden Gate, Olympic and Prince William Forest—these are our classrooms. We are the National Park Service’s largest partner in residential environmental education. Over the course of our 44-year partnership, our programs have reached more than one million students and teachers, changing lives along the way. NatureBridge provides programs in some of the most stunning places on the planet and reaches more than 35,000 students and teachers each year. Through inquiry-based environmental science education, our students build critical thinking skills, knowledge and self esteem. Students are challenged to see their world in a new way. They conduct scientific research that drives more informed choices and gives them a stronger understanding of our interconnections with the natural world. At NatureBridge, young people from all backgrounds learn that the world is larger than themselves and that they are powerful enough to change it. We inspire future leaders and the stewards of tomorrow. We reach. By providing scholarships to more than 35% of our schools, we are able to reach many students from underserved communities. We adapt our programs and our curriculum to fit every student’s needs, abilities, and background. Every young person is engaged and involved. No one is left out. And we work with teachers so lessons learned outdoors will continue in the classroom and back home in students’ communities. And we are built to last. Powered by a combination of earned revenue and philanthropic support, we are highly sustainable and adaptable. We are committed to growing and improving residential environmental education for America’s youth. In 2012, we opened our first campus on the East Coast at Prince William Forest Park in Virginia, just outside of Washington D.C. To help make environmental education a national priority, we collaborate with like-minded organizations, academics and funders to develop a vision for the future through the ChangeScale (changescale.org). FOR OUR STUDENTS, OUR COMMUNITIES, AND THE PLANET
We must do more to prepare our students to address the environmental challenges we face and for success in the workforce and the economy of tomorrow. Environmental science education is more important now than ever before. With the world’s changing climate, threats to our plants and animals and the wild places they live, declines in civic engagement and science in the classroom and a generation bound only to textbooks and technology—NatureBridge’s mission has never been more urgent. COMMITTED TO GROWTH AND DIVERSITY
We continue to establish NatureBridge programs in more national parks, to reach more students, and to serve more people from underserved and under-resourced communities. We are committed to serving a diverse group of people from all economic, social and ethnic groups. Everyone must feel welcome in our national parks and everyone must see their own heritage reflected in the stories and meanings interpreted by our faculty. We’ll continue to expand our reach by building on a curriculum that is relevant to diverse audiences, and by providing more need-based scholarships. JOIN US
We connect today’s children to nature, so that tomorrow’s adults will be passionate stewards for the natural world. Our future depends on it. Will you join us? Visit us at naturebridge.org, send an email to [email protected], or call us at 415-992-4700 to learn more about NatureBridge and to find out how you can get involved.
