Yakona’s educational program “Creating Connections” connects K12 and postsecondary students with their local native forests and wildlife through activities that foster curiosity and wonder. The program centers “students as scientists.” All are actively engaged in place-based experiential learning through observation and data collection. Art is woven throughout every students’ visit to the preserve.

Yakona offers free half and full day field trips to K12 classrooms from Lincoln County and further afield. Younger students focus on nature journaling while middle and high school students collect data that directly supports what they’re learning in class. We lead a paid summer internship program for rising high school seniors and students who have just graduated that focuses on careers in the natural resource field. Yakona will also serve as the laboratory for the new Oregon Coast Community College Nature Resources program. All of these educational opportunities are offered free of charge in part thanks to generous grants from Altrusa International, BottleDrop Fund I of Oregon Community Foundation, Braemar Charitable Trust, Gray Family Foundation, the Healy Foundation, and the Roundhouse Foundation. For more information or to schedule an educational visit, contact our Associate Director, Anna Rodgers -Anna@yakonaoregon.org.

Grants are not able to cover the costs of all our educational offerings, and we welcome your partnership in supporting Creating Connections. Would you consider volunteering for our docent program and spending time in the forest supporting our field trips? Or perhaps you have the ability to give a financial gift to support our work? Below are examples of what Yakona spends to keep these programs free for all participating schools.