Parks in Focus: Ten Years at Yosemite

Parks in Focus: Ten Years at Yosemite 

Parks in Focus is a program administered by the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation that connects middle school youth from underserved communities to nature and national parks through photography, environmental education, and outdoor learning. In 2019, Parks in Focus celebrated its tenth anniversary of summer programming in partnership with Yosemite National Park. Each summer, Parks in Focus leads three five-day camping trips that provide Bay Area youth with the opportunity to visit, explore, and photograph Yosemite for the first time. 

Over the course of each trip, participants learn about Yosemite’s natural and cultural history as well as the importance of our national parks. Students meet and work alongside park rangers, professional photographers, and staff from the Udall Foundation to sharpen their photography skills while taking in awe-inspiring views of Half Dome, El Capitan, and Yosemite Falls. While camping in Yosemite Valley, participants learn basic outdoor skills and practice “Leave No Trace” principles that encourage the enjoyment of nature in a conscious and sustainable way. Inspired by the wonders of Yosemite’s outdoor classroom and the area’s rich photographic history, campers produce images of their adventures along with the flora, fauna, and topography they encounter along the way. After completing the program, students keep their digital cameras as an incentive to continue their photographic explorations.  

The Parks in Focus program at Yosemite is a collaboration between the Udall Foundation, Yosemite National Park, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula, Real Options for City Kids, the YMCA of Silicon Valley, and the Ansel Adams Gallery. The program is made possible by the generous support of the Yosemite Conservancy, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the park and enriching the visitor experience.

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