An Evening with NatureBridge Raises Over $1.2 Million for Outdoor Schools
San Francisco, CA (May 9, 2025) — NatureBridge, the nation’s largest education partner of the National Park Service, proudly announces the success of its annual fundraising event, An Evening with NatureBridge, held on May 8, 2025, at Fort Mason in San Francisco, CA. The event welcomed 400 guests and raised over $1.2 million in support of NatureBridge’s scholarship programs and its mission to connect young people to the science and wonder of the natural world.
The evening celebrated the transformational power of outdoor environmental education with inspiring stories, activity stations that highlighted core elements from NatureBridge’s programs across its four campus locations, generous giving by the NatureBridge community, and a shared commitment to developing the next generation of environmental stewards.
At the heart of the evening was the speech and spoken word performance delivered by Subiksha Shri Palanisamy Mythili, NatureBridge’s 2025 Student of the Year, who shared her moving journey as a NatureBridge Yosemite student. Her reflection on how the program deepened her connection to nature and awakened her sense of self captivated the audience and underscored the life-changing impact of the organization’s work.
The program also featured a fireside chat with Kate Brandt, Chief Sustainability Officer at Google and formerly the United States' first Federal Chief Sustainability Officer. Brandt highlighted her own experiences as a young person who had the ability to experience the outdoors, the importance of environmental education in addressing the climate crisis, and empowering young people to lead with science, compassion, and action.
“An Evening with NatureBridge isn’t just a celebration of our past—it’s an investment in our future,” said Phillip Kilbridge, CEO of NatureBridge. “Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community and supporters, we’re able to expand access to life-changing programs for thousands of students who might not otherwise have the opportunity to learn and grow in our national parks. These programs for young people are more important than ever.”
NatureBridge offers hands-on, overnight education programs in Yosemite, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Olympic National Park, and Prince William Forest Park. Since its founding in 1971, NatureBridge has connected more than 1.6 million students to the outdoors through science-based education experiences.
About NatureBridge
NatureBridge is a national nonprofit organization that provides hands-on, overnight education programs to students in our nation’s national parks. As the largest education partner of the National Park Service, NatureBridge serves more than 30,000 students annually and is committed to fostering environmental literacy, scientific inquiry, and stewardship for a sustainable future.
For more information, please contact Director of Communications and Marketing Kenny Eng (keng@naturebridge.org).