Ocean Futures Society has partnered with the YMCA Point Bonita Outdoor & Conference Center , a branch of the YMCA of San Francisco, to infuse Ambassadors of the Environment programming into their existing environmental education curriculum. The Outdoor Education Program, led by Naturalists, brings young people to this beautiful site in the Marin Headlands.

Located in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area just north of the Golden Gate Bridge , YMCA Point Bonita provides outdoor education programs for children in grades K-12. The YMCA also provides a program called The Urban School of Environmental Education , which brings environmental education off site to teach children in grades 5-8 about their own local habitats. The goal of the YMCA is to build strong kids, strong families and strong communities by enriching the lives of all people in spirit, mind, and body.

Serving more than 10,000 people per year, the YMCA Point Bonita Outdoor & Conference Center is a leader and partner in providing life-changing nature programs that develop community responsibility and respect for our environment. YMCA Point Bonita ’s Outdoor Education Program brings students closer to the environment, their peers and their teachers with experiential and cooperative learning. From one-day "quick-tastes" of the Marin Headlands to fully residential five-day stays, Outdoor Education challenges the spirits, minds, and bodies of thousands of students each year.

The goal is to get children out into nature: to embrace the sun, wind, rain, and fog. By developing an awareness of and appreciation for the connections between humans and nature, the program emphasizes each student’s personal effect on the planet. Students are trained to act as critical observers and stewards of their home environments and communities.

Naturalists work with teachers to design a program that will enhance their curriculum. The small-group approach is holistic, interdisciplinary, and individually tailored to teachers’ requests and students’ interest. Program topics include: animal adaptations and lore, birds, community and group building, earth science, environmental issues, habitats and ecosystems, lighthouse history, local culture, marine mammals, marine biology, organic farming/gardening, plant adaptations and lore, wetlands and watersheds study, and more!

We encourage students to be Ambassadors of the Environment by:

• Providing a safe, meaningful, and fun outdoor learning experience;
• Developing students’ knowledge of and respect for the natural world;
• Illuminating AOTE’s four ecological principles of sustainability;
• Empowering students through cooperative living and learning;
• Meeting each school’s individual curriculum expectations.

Quotes about the program:

“I saw many of my kids challenged in many different ways. I saw a few of my kids who are challenged in a classroom with walls thrive in a classroom without walls, what a thrill!” -Teacher

To learn more about the program, call 415-331-YMCA (9622) or check out www.pointbonitaymca.org