An Evening with NatureBridge Raises Over $1 Million for Outdoor Education
On May 7, over 350 friends, supporters, and alumni joined us at Fort Mason in San Francisco, CA for An Evening with NatureBridge. This annual gathering was a celebration of the transformative power of nature, the strength of our community, and our shared commitment to inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards.
Thanks to the incredible generosity of our supporters, we raised over $1 million in critical scholarship support, helping ensure that more young people can experience the life-changing impact of outdoor learning in our national park classrooms.
During the evening’s program, our 2026 Student of the Year, Milin Sekhon, shared how his NatureBridge experience in Yosemite National Park helped him unplug from the pressures of technology and reconnect with curiosity, reflection, and presence. “What made this experience so powerful wasn’t just the beauty Yosemite had to offer, but rather the new perspective I gained,” Milin said. “Each day standing in a place so vast and timeless, I began to realize how small the digital world around me really was.”
There were no distractions, no notifications, and no connection to the endless digital world that once consumed us. For the first time, we were not filtered by our curated versions of ourselves. We were just real… That moment showed me that the best connections are formed when we’re fully present, and that’s something that I brought home with me from Yosemite.Milin Sekhon, 2026 Student of the Year
We were also privileged to hear from Tashanda Giles-Jones, an award-winning environmental program specialist and educator in Los Angeles, CA. For over a decade, Tashanda has brought more than 200 high school seniors to NatureBridge each year, creating meaningful opportunities for students from historically underserved frontline communities to experience outdoor learning.
Experiential learning is not an “extra”—it is a research-backed, essential part of equity and productive struggle in education.Tashanda Giles-Jones, environmental program specialist and educator
“Direct engagement outdoors increases achievement, well-being, and participation for historically marginalized youth,” Tashanda stated. “What we’ve found during our NatureBridge trips is that when given the chance, students don’t just show up—they transform. They build connections with each other in ways that don’t happen in the classroom. They challenge themselves, push through frustration, and discover a sense of pride in doing something they never thought they could do.”
We’d like to extend our gratitude to everyone who helped make this unforgettable evening possible: our sponsors, board members, event planning committee, dedicated staff, student alumni and their families, and every guest who joined us in support of our mission. Together, we’re inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards—and we couldn’t do it without you.
Stories
An Evening with NatureBridge Raises Over $1 Million for Outdoor Education
On May 7, over 350 friends, supporters, and alumni joined us at Fort Mason in San Francisco, CA for An Evening with NatureBridge. This annual gathering was a celebration of the transformative power of nature, the strength of our community, and our shared commitment to inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards.
2026 Student of the Year: Milin Sekhon
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 one of our environmental science programs. This year’s honoree will be recognized and will speak at An Evening with NatureBridge, which will be held on Thursday, May 7 in San Francisco, CA. We are thrilled to announce our 2026 Student of the Year: Milin Sekhon.
To the Last Bite: HARD CORE
The "Hard Core" challenge didn’t originate at NatureBridge. Plenty of outdoor education programs have passed around the same challenge. But something about it rooted itself deeply in Yosemite Valley—especially in the years after the pandemic, when rebuilding connection and culture mattered more than ever. And sometimes that’s how stewardship begins—not with a grand gesture, but with an apple eaten to the core.