Park Partners
Yosemite Valley School students are the future stewards of the park. As park residents, they are privy to a unique experience with vast resources at the fingertips. It is heartwarming and fortunate to see the educational opportunities that are available with our various park partners. Here is a small sampling of the rich connections that we have cultivated as a school to learn more about geology, the natural history, and the cultural history of this crown jewel of the national park service.
On the second day of school, Y.V.S. traveled to El Capitan Meadow to watch and learn about how the California Highway Patrol and National Park Service Helicopter Rescue Team train to save lives on the venerable rock of Yosemite. Learn more about rescue on the of granite walls of Yosemite National Park at:
Project Pluton: Naturebridge, which is Yosemite's esteemed outdoor education program for youth in the park, escorts students from all of Yosemite's local schools in the 4th-6th grade once a month for a day outing. This year's theme was Yosemite Rocks-A Study of Park Geology. Students learned about the rocks of the Valley, Tuolumne Meadows, and Taft Point among other hot spots. Learn more about Naturebridge at:
National Park Service Explorers-Once a month, rangers from the National Park Service Education Branch provide our TK-3rd graders with an outdoor education program. Students learned a great deal about the science of our park. To learn more about the National Park Service visit:
Yosemite Museum-Home of the Indian Cultural Center: Students learn more about connecting art and cultural history with science at this incredible museum right in our back yard. Ranger Ben teaches the students about obsidian.
Rock Climbing in Yosemite: Yosemite is a mecca for rock climbers from all over the world. One of the most talented athletes in this sport, Alex Honnold, stopped by to discuss his two year project on El Capitan.
