Youth Exploring Sonoma: Just say "YES!"
Parks Foundation helps secure funding for innovative youth excursions - YES Coast and YES River
Initiated in summer 2017, Sonoma County Regional Parks’ unique YES-Coast (Youth Exploring Sonoma Coast) program connects under-served youth between the ages of 13-18 to their coastline by providing a year of outings interweaving themes of coastal and marine ecology, local history, and the rich culture that exists in Sonoma County.
The program is ambitious, with complex logistics, enthusiastic, high energy participants, and a broad curriculum — and its first year was a resounding success! Serving 125 youth from the cities and suburban neighborhoods of central and east Sonoma County, YES-Coast facilitates the first ever visit to the California coast for the majority of the participating teens.
Educational, recreational, stewardship and career exploration activities along the entire stretch of the county’s coastline include five one-day outings, a 3-day/2-night camping trip and a special community celebration honoring the youth. Youth capture their experiences and share their stories through art projects, including Photo Voice, culminating in an exhibit at the Gualala Arts Center and one-month traveling exhibit in local libraries.
The Parks Foundation has assisted in securing grants of more than $70,000 in funding to support this high-quality outdoor experience for our local teens. In addition, a Parks Foundation grant is funding the traveling PhotoVoice exhibit.
Thank you to the California Coastal Conservancy, Creative Sonoma and Exchange Bank for grants to help fund this vital program.
The program is ambitious, with complex logistics, enthusiastic, high energy participants, and a broad curriculum — and its first year was a resounding success! Serving 125 youth from the cities and suburban neighborhoods of central and east Sonoma County, YES-Coast facilitates the first ever visit to the California coast for the majority of the participating teens.
Educational, recreational, stewardship and career exploration activities along the entire stretch of the county’s coastline include five one-day outings, a 3-day/2-night camping trip and a special community celebration honoring the youth. Youth capture their experiences and share their stories through art projects, including Photo Voice, culminating in an exhibit at the Gualala Arts Center and one-month traveling exhibit in local libraries.
The Parks Foundation has assisted in securing grants of more than $70,000 in funding to support this high-quality outdoor experience for our local teens. In addition, a Parks Foundation grant is funding the traveling PhotoVoice exhibit.
Thank you to the California Coastal Conservancy, Creative Sonoma and Exchange Bank for grants to help fund this vital program.
YES-River is a new program focused on the Russian River, in summer, on Gualala River in fall and the Petaluma River in the winter of 2022. YES-River serves youth countywide who are far from park experiences. The Parks Foundation is seeking to raise $25,000 for this program. For information, please contact Melissa Kelley at melissa.kelley@sonoma-county.org.
