Youth Stewardship Program

Youth Stewardship Program (YSP) 

 

The Youth Stewardship Program (YSP) runs from September through May and engages classrooms and youth groups, grades K-12, in environmental education and service-learning field trips in parks citywide. Our program mission is to foster an understanding of their important role in building healthy connections to urban ecology in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area free of cost. Teachers can register their classes beginning in mid-August with priority given to schools serving Environmental Justice Communities.* 

Each field trip is 2.5 hours long and includes an environmental education and a restoration component. Students are taught foundations of environmental science, local natural and cultural history, the value of stewardship, native wildlife, and social responsibility through a personal connection to their communities. 

*Environmental Justice Communities are defined by the San Francisco Planning Commission as predominately low-income communities experiencing a high burden of environmental pollution. To learn more about Environmental Justice Communities, follow the link to SF Planning’s website here. 

What We Offer: 

1 field trip in the Fall 1 field trip in the Spring1 in-class lesson leading up to your first trip
Dates: September 22nd - December 19th, 2025Dates: January 12th - May 22nd, 2026Please indicate in the Additional Notes section of your request form if you would like an in-class lesson. 

In-class Lessons: 

We provide an optional in-class lesson to better prepare students for their field trip(s) with us. They are 1 hour long and include a presentation + an activity. Our presentation covers stewardship, SF natural history, local wildlife, and the foundations of ecology. Both the presentation and the activity are adaptable to the needs of your class. 

Please request a trip with us at one of these locations! 

If you would like a field trip in a location not featured on our list, please indicate your preferred site on the request form. 

YSP Field trip locationsYSP field trip location descriptions


How to apply:  

 For those familiar with our program, we are incorporating a new form to manage all requests: ysp apply button

If you would like 1 trip in the fall, and 1 trip in the spring: Submit the form once per trip! 
If you are requesting a trip at Alemany Farm: You can only requests dates on Tuesdays or Thursdays
In your Additional Notes section of the form: 1. Note that you are requesting a YSP trip.
2. Note whether or not you would like the optional in-class lesson. 
3. Indicate if you would like us to focus on any of the educational themes below during your trip/classroom visit.


Once you've submitted the trip request form, a member of our team will reach out to confirm the date of your trip! Then, the YSP team will coordinate the in-class lesson, trip logistics, and all additional educational material. 

Educational Themes

The following is a list educational themes offered by our program. If you are interested in a specific theme not listed below, please let us know in the ‘additional notes’ section of your request form. 

Sense of Place: Get your students acquainted to their local park and open space through an exploratory approach. 

Animal Adaptations: Engage in some fun interactive games and learn about unique adaptations animals evolved overtime to survive changing environmental and cultural climates. 

Water: Learn about various water themes including wetlands, watersheds, and understanding our water cycle in San Francisco. 

Soil: Learn about San Francisco bedrock and the exciting ecosystem found in soil. Soil tells a story and is more alive than you think! 

Plant Adaptations: Learn about different plant features that allow plants to endure dry, wet and extreme climates. 

Interdependence: Take a big picture approach to understand how all living species and elements are connected though fun game simulations. 


If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Youth Stewardship Program or an upcoming trip, contact us at our general mailbox ysp@sfgov.org 



Self-Guided Options

Not able to schedule a trip this year, but keen to explore our parks? Plan your own visit to the park with the help of these printable PDF guides!

Front page of activity book for "A Day in the Park!" Opens in new windowA Day in the Park!
by Karah Fisher 
An activity book for your young person to complete in any SF park

¡Un Día en el Parque!
Actividades de Exploración del Parque

(PDF)

Birds of the Golden Gate Park Lakes - A bird guide Opens in new windowBirds of the GGP Lakes
by the 2021-22 YSP Team
A bird guide for the lakes and wetlands of Golden Gate Park 
Ethnobotany card guide with yarrow on the front cover Opens in new window
Ethnobotany Card Guide
by the 2021-22 YSP Team
A guide to some of the most popular 
SF Native Plants
Birds of Herons Head Park Opens in new window
Birds of Heron's Head Park
by Eliz Ismailoglu
A guide to our feathered friends at 
Heron's Head Park


Program Links

Group Community Service Projects

To organize a service-only project for your group or class year-round, please complete a Group Park Volunteer Request Form   .


Not sure how or where you’d like to volunteer? No problem! Get in touch with staff at recparkvolunteers@sfgov.org.