YES Nature to Neighborhoods

YES continued to build strong partnerships with local schools through the Richmond Outdoors Coalition (ROC), of which YES is the backbone agency and fiscal sponsor. After a 12-month planning process alongside West Contra Costa Unified School District and nine non-profit partners, the ROC initiated a three-year pilot program in two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school this past school year. Through this partnership, YES has collaborated with WCCUSD teachers, administrators, and counselors to engage students and their families in multiple, repeated, and reinforcing outdoor experiences all year. In the 2023-24 school year, 1,049 students and their family members participated in ROC programs, logging an average of five outdoor experiences per person. Additionally, students attended 59 off-site field trips to local, regional, state, and national parks.