Students hike the coastline in Olympic National Park
Increasing Access to the Outdoors

NatureBridge Scholarship Fund

Combined Shape Copy Created with Sketch.

Everyone has the right to explore the outdoors, experience joy and connections and discover their public lands, but not all young people have the opportunity. At NatureBridge, we work to increase access to the outdoors, and we strive to create an experience that is inclusive of all participants. 

By increasing access to our programs and ensuring their relevance to diverse student populations, we engage a new generation and create pathways to learning, growth and environmental stewardship.

The scholarships that we receive each year make this trip possible for our families. I can not thank you enough. The beauty of Yosemite will stay with us forever.
Kevin Sugar, Teacher, Hoover Community School

Scholarship Funding #

Funded by our generous community of donors, our scholarship fund provides need-based support to students and schools that lack the resources to participate in NatureBridge programs. Many of these students would not be able to explore our national parks without financial support. 

In the 2022-23 school year, we awarded more than $1 million in scholarships to 37% of participating schools. To further close the equity gap in our parks, we are committed to focusing our outreach to new schools and those for whom access is limited due to resource constraints. 

If you are interested in attending a NatureBridge program and would like to learn more about scholarship availability, please reach out to your Outreach and Enrollment Manager.

Scholarships by Campus #

To reach underserved and underrepresented youth, NatureBridge provides free or reduced enrollment scholarships to schools based on the percentage of students eligible for the National School Lunch Program, the federal free and reduced-price lunch program.

Campus Percentage of Schools Receiving Scholarships
Yosemite National Park 36%
Golden Gate National Recreation Area 32%
Olympic National Park 31%
Prince William Forest Park 75%

Program Scholarships #

In addition to increasing access through our environmental science school and group programs during the academic year, NatureBridge also offers scholarship support and donor-subsidized tuition for summer and leadership programs. Summer, multi-week and year-long programs supported by institutional and donor funding include:

Support NatureBridge