VIDEO: In Their Own Words—Youth Conservation Program Alums Reflect on Fifteen Years of Impact

Transformative. Challenging. Inspirational. Wilderness. Friendships. These are some of the words that Youth Conservation Program (YCP) alums have used to describe their experience in the Foundation's flagship youth program, which is executed in partnership with Grand Teton National Park.

As we celebrate a decade and a half of impact-a significant milestone-it's an appropriate time to reflect on the program's influence. Whether they participated in 2005 or 2019, YCP alums we recently spoke with have a lot to say about how their experience in Grand Teton continues to affect their lives.

Stories like these demonstrate the lasting impact on the education, employment, and lifestyle choices of young people after spending an immersive summer in Grand Teton. Today and tomorrow, this program is creating the conservation leaders of the future.

YCP members, Foundation staff, and NPS staff celebrated the program's fifteen-year anniversary in June.