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Future stewards
Launched in 2006, Grand Teton National Park Foundation’s Future Stewards initiative inspires and equips the next generation of public land leaders through outdoor experiences, preservation work, and in-depth career training opportunities. These programs are essential for connecting young people to the outdoors, themselves, and each other, while also empowering them to serve as conservation stewards both within this community and across the country.
9 PROGRAMS
1,500+ PARTICIPANTS
161,159 HOURS
3 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
YOUTH
conservation
program
Stewardship starts here.
YCP is more than a summer job; it’s an action-packed educational opportunity that accomplishes much needed work in one of America’s most popular landscapes while helping participants develop a personal conservation ethic.
The Foundation supports a group of young adults who work and learn in this ten week program each June to August in Grand Teton National Park. Participants complete trail work to improve access and protect fragile habitat, preserve historic sites, and learn about park history, employment opportunities, search and rescue, and more—bettering the landscape as they grow.
YCP STORIES
TRIBAL YOUTH ENGAGEMENT
Tribal Youth Engagement provides place-based opportunities for Indigenous youth from park affiliated tribes to connect with nature and cultural history through outdoor experiences and career training. Current opportunities include:
Tribal Community Engagement Fellowship: This position supports one emerging leader in a role to engage Indigenous youth and families, support culturally grounded education programs, foster cross-tribal collaboration, and ensure Indigenous knowledge and representation are present across park programming.
Indigenous Ground Leaders: This leadership program is designed with and for park-affiliated Tribal communities and centers Indigenous voices and ways of knowing. The program creates supportive spaces for young people to connect with their ancestral homelands, learn from Tribal mentors, and build skills in leadership, environmental stewardship, outdoor recreation, and career exploration—fostering confidence,community, and a lasting relationship with public lands.
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
The Foundation supports a variety of programs that offer hands-on, place-based learning that connect youth to Grand Teton National Park through exploration and education. These programs are executed in collaboration with Teton Science Schools.
Every Kid in Wyoming - Kids in the Park: Hundreds of students from across Wyoming and throughout the region experience Grand Teton National Park through immersive, multi-day trips that blend exploration, education, and inspiration. These transformative residential education programs build lasting connections to public lands and to fellow students, while nurturing confidence, curiosity, and stewardship
Every Kid in Wyoming - Weekends in the Park: Local youth have an opportunity to participate in shorter, high impact excursions in Grand Teton National Park, spending time recreating and learning alongside park experts. These experiences are specificallydesigned to align with days off within the Teton County School District schedule, enabling more students and families to participate.
career development
As environmental conditions change and visitation in national parks continues to grow, careers in public land management and conservation are increasingly important. The Foundation supports programs that introduce youth entering the workforce to Grand Teton National Park while building skills, confidence, and exposure to careers in conservation and public land management.
Rising Land Stewards: In partnership with GroundworkUSA, youth conservation leaders from across the country participate in an intensive two-week training program focused on trails and vegetation management in Grand Teton National Park. Participants complete the program prepared to lead public lands conservation corps crews, extending their impact by modeling stewardship and serving as peer mentors.
