The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department administers more than 220 parks, playgrounds, and open spaces. Our Mission is to provide enriching recreational activities, maintain beautiful parks and preserve the environment for the well-being of everyone in our diverse community.

The Youth Stewardship Program (YSP) runs from October through June of each year and engages youth and school groups, grades K-12, in environmental education and service-learning field trips in parks citywide. Our program mission is to foster in youth an understanding of their important role in building healthy social and natural communities.

YSP exposes urban students to an outdoor learning environment that proves to be engaging and challenging. Students are taught science, environmental education, local natural and cultural history, social responsibility, a personal connection to their communities, and fundamental life skills. Each trip is between 1.5-3 hours and includes an environmental education and restoration component.

The program is free of cost and available to any youth group or classroom in San Francisco.