One Tam’s Youth Programs coordinate the array of youth programs offered by the One Tam partners, tailors these programs to Mt. Tamalpais, expands participation to serve the diverse communities of Marin County, and nurtures new collaborations with local community groups and schools. The One Tam youth team offers numerous pathways for young people to participate in programs that build on one another, providing opportunities for ongoing engagement over time. Our goal is to provide youth participants with successive volunteer, internship, and job opportunities through college. Most of our youth programs can be counted towards volunteer hours for school. Our programs include:
Linking Individuals to their Natural Community (LINC)
This six-week program brings youth from across the Bay Area together for a variety of local service projects, education & recreation and skills building workshops to gain career and leadership skills. Projects and activities will vary by week and may include plant identification and habitat restoration. At the conclusion of the program, all participants receive up to a $2300 cash award.
- Season: Six weeks in summer, June-July 2023
- Age groups: grades 9-12
- Application is now live: learn more and apply >>
- Deadline to apply: March 12, 11:59 pm
- Partner: Parks Conservancy >>
Program contact: Adriana Castillo, Youth Program Manager, Parks Conservancy & One Tam, acastillo@parksconservancy.org
Inspiring Young Environmental Leaders (I-YEL)
I-YEL is a high school leadership program for youth attending San Francisco and Marin public schools. Young adults learn the skills necessary to be stronger leaders in their community through project management, community involvement, and outdoor trips. This program runs during the school year and hosts a Mt. Tamalpais-based team as well as a San Francisco-based team.
The I-YEL cohort for the 2022-23 school year has begun - please check back in fall 2023 for the next opportunity to apply.
- Season: Fall - Summer
- Program Dates: Tuesday - Friday
- Age groups: grades 9–12
- Application: check back fall 2023
- Deadline to apply: check back fall 2023
- Partner: Parks Conservancy >>
Program contact: Aimes Tam, Youth Program Manager, Parks Conservancy, atam@parksconservancy.org
Schools on the Watershed
In partnership with Marin Water's Schools on the Watershed program we provide school-year, environmental education opportunities for Marin elementary, middle and high schools and service-learning programs for youth groups and after school programs. We also support the very popular Trout in the Classroom Program on watershed lands.
- Age groups: grades K–12
- Season: school year and summer
- Partner: Marin Water >>
Community Volunteer Days
Have a few hours? There are dozens of volunteer programs throughout the year across all of Marin, and many are open to youth participants. Have fun, meet new friends, explore the outdoors, and give back to the special places where you love to hike, run, ride, and play. Age restrictions vary across different programs—check in with volunteer leaders in advance.
- Age groups: variable by program
- Season: year-round
- Marin County Parks volunteer programs (open to all ages with parent supervision) >>
- Marin Water volunteer programs >>
- Parks Conservancy volunteer programs (open to all ages with parent supervision) >>
Other Programs from One Tam Partners
- The National Park Service (NPS) hosts a variety of paid internships throughout the year within Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Muir Woods National Monument for high school students and young adults (19-30 years).
- Migratory Story is a program offered in the fall that looks at the intersectionality of animal and human migration. This program is for 5th grade classes from Title 1 schools.
- The Parks Conservancy’s Crissy Field Center, based in San Francisco, has a range of additional youth programs.
Resources for Teachers
California State Parks hosts a Summer Learning Program at Mt Tam State Park for all grades and an Environmental Studies Program for 4th graders at Petaluma and Sonoma Historic Parks. Teachers can contact Ryan.Forbes@parks.ca.gov to learn more about both programs.
NPS offers a range of programs to support teachers and their classes including educational field trips at Muir Woods known as “Parks as Classrooms, ” teacher professional development workshops, “Teaching the Untold Stories of our Local Communities” program and more.
NPS also offers the “Every Kid Outdoors!” program, an opportunity for every 4th grade student to obtain a free park pass for them and their families to use all year long.
Please note: we no longer offer Rising Environmental Youth Leaders, which was a climate change & youth leadership high school program connecting young people from underserved communities to their local parks and open space. This program is now being served by I-YEL, above.
