2022-2023 Program Updates

Golden Gate will offer environmental science programs weekdays from September 6, 2022 through June 9, 2023, excluding December 22, 2022 to January 9, 2023 and February 21 to 22, 2023. Standard program lengths are listed below; alternative program lengths will be scheduled only if they do not limit program access for other schools. 

• 5-day/4-night programs
• 3-day/2-night programs, Monday to Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.
• 3-day/2-night programs, Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. to Friday

The following changes in operational allow us to follow local, state, and national COVID guidelines but decrease campus capacity and limit the number of schools participating in programs:

• Scheduling fewer schools and fewer individuals overall on campus at a given time
• Limiting the number of group participants per learning group to 16 youth and 2 adults
• Requiring masks in indoor spaces unless eating or sleeping
• Assigning dorms and meals to allow for appropriate separation of participants in indoor spaces
• Assigning dorms and meal times to follow COVID guidelines and protocols.

Typically, tuition rates increase about 3% each school year. In March 2022 NatureBridge will update Golden Gate Environmental Science program pricing for the 2022-23 school year. Reduced rates will apply for programs scheduled during Golden Gate’s off-peak season, November 21, 2022 through February 24, 2023. NatureBridge awards scholarships based on financial need; applications are available upon request.

NatureBridge COVID-19 Policies & Protocols are available for review at any time. Group coordinators are encouraged to review Golden Gate’s pre-arrival screening requirements for participants and on-campus mitigation prior to reserving dates and during the planning process.

NatureBridge’s number one priority is to provide students with a safe and meaningful experience in national parklands. NatureBridge has a proven history of risk management expertise and has welcomed over 1 million students to national parks over the last 50 years. Educators and staff are certified as Wilderness First Responders and trained on the latest risk management practices and protocols.  

NatureBridge’s comprehensive Golden Gate Health and Safety Plan (HSP) is a living document, providing a clear set of guidelines that will help minimize the occurrence and impact of communicable disease during a program. The HSP will be updated as national, state, and local recommendations and guidelines are modified. All NatureBridge staff will be trained on the HSP and will follow the guidelines which adhere to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and American Camp Association (ACA) recommendations for summer camps (Field Guide for Camps on Implementation of CDC Guidance), as well as county public health requirements.