Our campuses bridge the gap

Yosemite National Park. Olympic National Park. Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. These are the places in which we connect youth to nature.

Unique experiences—each of our campuses offers unique programs available nowhere else, such as the Armstrong Scholars Program and Summer Field Research programs at Yosemite Institute, the Teen Environmental Action Mentorship (TEAM) program at Headlands Institute, and the Natural Connections program at Olympic Park Institute.

Highly relevant—we have adapted our Core Educational Framework to meet the needs of students, to ensure curriculum is relevant to the cultural traditions of diverse participants, and to reflect the unique characteristics of each campus location, from the high sierra, to the rainforest, to the Pacific coast marine environment.

Yosemite Institute

Visiting Yosemite Institute is a transformative experience for many students. More than just the science they learn, it is the connections they make to nature and to each other and the lessons they learn about themselves that change their lives. Yosemite Institute students test the water quality of mountain streams, monitor snow accumulation in meadows, count birds, and measure sequoias. By playing a role in a long-term monitoring program, they provide useful data for park managers and build a personal connection with Yosemite National Park.

Olympic Park Institute

Founded in 1987 and located on the shores of Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park, Olympic Park Institute serves a diverse group of more than 6,000 young people each year. Every student has a unique experience based on the personal connections he or she makes with the diverse river, ocean, and alpine ecosystems. Olympic Park Institute's residential field science education programs are closely aligned with Washington State’s Essential Academic Learning Requirements and combine outdoor study and exploration with indoor instruction in a natural science lab.   

Headlands Institute

Headlands Institute, located on the shores of Rodeo Beach in the Marin Headlands, has served more than 250,000 students from all walks of life since 1977. Its classroom includes a state-of-the-art marine lab and 60 miles of coastal lands rich with beaches, cliffs, chaparral, mountains, prairie, live oak woodlands, salt marshes, freshwater wetlands, and redwood forests. It contains more than half of North American avian species, nearly one third of California's plant species, 33 threatened and endangered species, and 61 archeological sites. This unique learning environment helps our students realize the impact their actions back home have on the world around them and inspires them to lifelong stewardship.

Santa Monica Mountains Institute

In partnership with Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, a unit of the National Park Service, NatureBridge is developing a fourth campus that will ultimately serve 10,000 youth per year. Our pilot program is in development and scheduled to launch in spring 2010. The pilot program will serve an estimated 1,400 students of multiple grade levels over a two year period with multiday educational experiences in the Santa Monica Mountains. During the pilot project, we will develop and evaluate a new curriculum, cultivate bilingual teaching partnerships, and build strong relationships in the local community.