Founded in 1971, Yosemite National Institutes [YNI] is a national organization dedicated to teaching science and environmental education in nature’s classroom to inspire a personal connection to the natural world and responsible actions to sustain it.



YNI currently has three campuses: Yosemite Institute in Yosemite National Park, Headlands Institute in the Marin Headlands in Northern California, and Olympic Park Institute in Olympic National Park in Washington.



YNI now serves over 40,000 youth and adults annually at its campuses in the Marin Headlands and Yosemite National Park in Northern California, and Olympic National Park in Washington. Over 500 public and private schools [grades K-12] from over 175 cities and towns attend our core residential field-science programs.


In addition to its K-12 field science programs, YNI offers teacher trainings, community outreach programs, summer youth adventures, and adult and family field courses.


YNI’s field science programs take students into outdoor settings and into the realm of hands-on learning, teamwork, personal discovery, and educational adventure. We introduce environmental and scientific themes and concepts through guided scientific exploration and experiential learning programs, which are designed to be interactive and interdisciplinary. Our programs support state and national academic learning requirements and are customized to achieve classroom objectives and the learning needs of students.



YNI is a non-profit organization operating on public lands. YNI is a “Park Partner” of the National Park Service [NPS] and the three parks in which it resides. Park Partners provide programs and services to help visitors better understand the rich histories of the parks and to enhance people’s experience of the parks.