International Women's Day: Remembering Joie Armstrong
On International Women’s Day, we recognize the women who help make the world a better place. Those who inspire others to be courageous, to follow their hopes and dreams, to be brave in the face of adversity.
Changemakers don’t have to be big and loud. Sometimes, the memory of one person who cared enough to make a difference in the lives of her students can be multiplied tenfold. Such is the case of Joie Armstrong, a woman whose time on Earth was short, but her passion for connecting kids to nature has lived on since her passing 18 years ago.
Joie Armstrong, a NatureBridge educator at Yosemite National Park in 1999, was a bright light to all who knew her. She was full of laughter and love, creativity and spunk; she gifted the world with her glowing smile and warm heart.
She is remembered as a young woman who had a tremendous enthusiasm for life and a deep desire to give of herself for the betterment of the world around her. It was this desire to create a more idyllic world that inspired her decision to become an environmental science educator for what was formerly known as Yosemite Institute.
My passion lies with teaching children about their environment, and I have dedicated all of my efforts toward it.Joie Armstrong
Although her time as a NatureBridge educator was tragically cut short, her family chose to honor her legacy by finding a way to motivate other young women to be as brave, courageous, and tenacious as Joie was in life.
That is how the Armstrong Scholars Program was born.
Each year, thirteen girls aged 15-18 are selected to participate in an empowering summer backpacking adventure in the High Sierra of Yosemite National Park. The program inspires young women to reach their highest potential, develop a stronger sense of self and community, and explore their personal connection to nature.
This summer will mark the 19th season of Armstrong Scholars. 19 years that serve as a testament of how the loss of one life can help impact dozens more. There is beauty in finding hope for the future in moments of tragedy and loss. It takes strength to transform the ugliness in our world into something so pure and selfless.
We can only do so much to describe what the Armstrong Scholars Program means to us, to our educators, and to the amazing young women who are impacted by the journey.
View the photo gallery of our Armstrong Scholars over the years, who have undoubtedly gone on to become strong and confident, and most importantly, to GULP LIFE—just as Joie would have wanted.
You can support the program by donating to NatureBridge and designating Armstrong Scholars program in the notes section.
Applications are now open for the 2018 Armstrong Scholars Program. Learn more at naturebridge.org/armstrong.
Stories
Fall Reflections from NatureBridge Yosemite
As an environmental science educator, I spend a lot of time teaching about nature, but this season I’ve been finding that as it turns out, nature has a lot to teach us, too. Sometimes I can let the trees, the meadow, and the lichen teach for me. They show us how to respect each other’s boundaries, how to celebrate differences, how to work together, and how to lean on each other’s strengths in order to exist in a new place. These lessons felt incredibly relevant to me heading into the first week of November, a notoriously busy time at NatureBridge Yosemite. I wanted to focus on messages of kindness and inclusivity with my students, I wanted them to feel a sense of belonging in this new space, and I also hoped that they would share those messages with others.
An Incredible 10th Anniversary of Evening on the Lake
On October 25, the Amazon Meeting Center in downtown Seattle buzzed with celebratory energy as over 300 NatureBridge guests and supporters gathered for the 10th anniversary of "Evening on the Lake," our signature Pacific Northwest fundraising event for our Olympic campus.
"Science became fun" at NatureBridge for Alum Laura Lomeli Russert
Laura Lomeli Russert is a NatureBridge alum who grew up in Groveland, CA and now calls Washington, D.C. home. Laura’s journey with NatureBridge began when she attended the Golden Gate campus as a young student with her class from Tenaya Elementary. Laura credits NatureBridge with shaping not only her love for nature but also her passion for education and science. "Science became fun,” she recalls. “You weren’t learning from a textbook anymore, and it became so much more real." Her hands-on, scientific experiences at NatureBridge laid the foundation for her eventual pursuit of a Ph.D. in psychology. “I feel like I owe a lot to NatureBridge."