Announcing the 2024 Armstrong Scholars Leaders
Join us in celebrating the start of another fantastic year of Armstrong Scholars! In December we selected the educators who will be leading the charge this summer, and we are psyched to have representatives from THREE NatureBridge campuses helping to bring the magic alive: Mia Perez (Golden Gate; above left), Felicity Holmes (Olympic; above center), and Ivy Moore (Yosemite; above right). Ivy will be training and supporting the program as the Armstrong Alternate should anything go awry while Mia and Felicity lead the adventure. For a peek at what they hope to inspire, read on!
I want to carry on the legacy of the Armstrong Scholars Program. It is an amazing space for those that identify as women, and I want to be a part of that community. I want to instill in young women a sense of empowerment, confidence, and strength. Too often as a woman I have been doubted in my abilities and been made to be small. I want these women to walk away from this experience knowing that they matter and can take up space in this world. It is also my hope that their journey doesn't end with Armstrong Scholars, I hope they are able to feel that sense of wonder and opportunity I did when I first backpacked in Yosemite. Lastly, I hope they are able to share what they learned about themselves along and instill this passion into future women.Mia Perez, 2024 Armstrong Scholars Leader
I hope that participants feel “empowered” as a result of the Armstrong Scholars Program. What I mean by this is that they walk away feeling more powerful, more confident, and more able to tackle hard things. I hope my participants walk away feeling smart, feeling like enough, and feeling accepted as their authentic self. If they do not walk away feeling these things, I hope they walk away feeling like they are on the path to feeling these things. After hard experiences, I often feel ready to share about the experiences with my loved ones. I hope that my participants can feel safe enough to share that they experienced a hard thing, overcame it, and what they learned, whether they learned about agency, teamwork, or leadership.Felicity Holmes, 2024 Armstrong Scholars Leader
While I never knew Joie Armstrong, it is clear that her passionate spirit has impacted the lives of many. My hope for participants is that by the end of their program, they too will feel impacted by Joie Armstrong in that they will be inspired to approach life with the same enthusiasm and curiosity that she possessed. I hope that participants will feel pride in what they have accomplished, but more so, I hope that they will feel the power, love, and trust of the community they have cultivated through the program.Ivy Moore, 2024 Armstrong Scholars Leader
Stories
Staff Spotlight: Dylan Meek
“I don’t know if I’d have such a keen interest in what I do now” without experiencing NatureBridge programs as a middle schooler, says current NatureBridge staff member Dylan Meek. As a seventh grader, Dylan and her classmates from Southern California attended an environmental science program at Yosemite Institute (known today as NatureBridge Yosemite). That trip represented Dylan’s first visit to a national park and her first exposure to the field of outdoor education. Now on staff as the Lab Steward at NatureBridge Golden Gate, Dylan ensures that the environmental science educators have everything they need “to get the most out of the lab spaces” on campus.
2024 Student of the Year: Kai Diaz
At NatureBridge, we celebrate the stewards of today and foster the development of the stewards of tomorrow, working to inspire environmental stewardship in all our participants. Our goal is to motivate our students to make waves and be changemakers in their communities and for our planet.
Each year, NatureBridge honors a student who has demonstrated leadership, growth and a commitment to protecting our natural world as a result of their participation in a NatureBridge program. This year’s honoree will be recognized and will speak at An Evening Outside with NatureBridge on Thursday, May 16 at our Golden Gate campus.
We are thrilled to announce our 2024 Student of the Year: Kai Diaz.
An Interview with Evening Outside Keynote Speaker Dr. Britt Wray
The minute we found out about the work of Dr. Britt Wray, we knew we wanted to learn more about her. A well-respected author and scientist, Dr. Wray possesses expertise in an area of research we talk about a lot at NatureBridge—specifically how we can be resilient, hopeful, and actionable amid a changing world, including the climate crisis. We’re thrilled that Dr. Wray will be joining us on May 16 for An Evening Outside with NatureBridge as our Featured Speaker. Ahead of the event, we had the chance to ask her a few questions relating to her work and her connection to the mission of NatureBridge.