2018 Shenandoah Alcoa Scholars: By the Numbers
We're excited to host our 2018 Shenandoah Alcoa Scholars in less than two weeks! The Scholars arrive on July 17. Follow their journey as we share updates on social media!
Stories
WildLink August 2025: Fresno Building Healthy Communities First Trip
Fresno’s Building Healthy Communities non-profit brings together high school aged youth from all over Fresno to empower them to become change agents within their schools and communities. In 2025 these agents of change were invited to come to Yosemite for a six day expedition where they got to know their local national park.
Experiencing Yosemite “Alone”: The Solo Walk
When NatureBridge students arrive in Yosemite National Park with their peers, the excitement is instant—shared discoveries, group hikes, laughter echoing between granite walls. But one of the most powerful ways to connect with a place is by stepping away from the group and taking a moment alone. Yosemite belongs to everyone, and in solitude, it can feel like it belongs just to you.
The Long Ripple: How One Week in Yosemite Shaped a Lifetime of Leadership
For Andree Blanchier, the memories of Yosemite aren't just mental snapshots of granite peaks and waterfalls; they are the foundational layers of a life dedicated to education and making an impact in her community. Now the Executive Director of the Shasta College Foundation, Andree looks back at her time as a McConnell Scholar in the late 1980’s at NatureBridge (then Yosemite Institute) as the moment the world grew larger than her high school hallways.