Youth Stewardship Program
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. Learn more about EJ Communities here .
What We Offer:
1 field trip in the fall Dates: September 22nd - December 19th, 2025 1 field trip in the spring Dates: January 12th - May 22nd, 2026 1 in-class lesson Leading up to your first trip. Please 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 1-hour in-class lesson to better prepare students for their field trip(s). This includes a presentation and an activity covering stewardship, SF natural history, local wildlife, and ecology foundations. Both are adaptable to the needs of your class.
Field Trip Locations
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.
How to Apply
We are incorporating a new form to manage all requests. Click the apply button below to begin:
- If requesting trips for both seasons: Submit the form once per trip.
- Alemany Farm: You can only request dates on Tuesdays or Thursdays.
- In the Additional Notes section: 1) Note it is a YSP trip; 2) Note if you want the in-class lesson; 3) Indicate which Educational Theme you’d like to focus on.
Educational Themes
The following educational themes are offered. If you are interested in a specific theme not listed, please let us know in the ‘additional notes’ section of your request form.
- Sense of Place: Exploratory approach to local parks.
- Animal Adaptations: Interactive games about wildlife survival.
- Water: Wetlands, watersheds, and the SF water cycle.
- Soil: Bedrock and the exciting ecosystem found in soil.
- Plant Adaptations: Features that allow plants to endure extreme climates.
- Interdependence: Understanding how all living species are connected.
Questions? Contact us at ysp@sfgov.org .
Self-Guided Options
Plan your own visit with the help of these printable PDF guides!
A Day in the Park!
Activity book for any SF park
Birds of the GGP Lakes
Wetlands bird guide
Ethnobotany Card Guide
SF Native Plants guide
Birds of Heron’s Head
Shorebird identification guide
Program Links & Reports
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 where to volunteer? Contact us at recparkvolunteers@sfgov.org .