BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS AND UDALL FOUNDATION CELEBRATE 20 YEARS OF CONNECTING TUCSON YOUTH TO NATURE THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY
Posted: 10/26/2018
Celebrating 20 Years: Parks in Focus Partnership Background & Highlights
TUCSON, ARIZ. [October 29, 2018] – This fall, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson (BGCT) and the Morris K. Udall
and Stewart L. Udall Foundation (Udall Foundation) celebrate 20 years of partnership on the Stewart L. Udall
Parks in Focus® Program—an education program of the Udall Foundation that connects youth from underserved
communities to nature and our nation’s public lands through photography and outdoor learning.
Since 1999, Parks in Focus has put cameras in the hands of more than 725 middle school-aged youth from the
BGCT and guided them on approximately 3,200 hours of after-school, weekend, and summer adventures in
settings ranging from city parks to the Grand Canyon.
“We strive to help at-risk youth develop solid plans for their futures by achieving academic success, becoming
good citizens in the community, and making healthy lifestyle choices,” said BGCT CEO Debbie Wagner. “Parks
in Focus helps us achieve our mission with our kids and has added great value to our organization for the past
two decades.”
The Parks in Focus program kicks off each January with a series of after-school activities held at each of the six
BGCT locations in Tucson and Saturday field trips to visit, explore, and photograph sites like Agua Caliente
Regional Park, Saguaro National Park, Tumacácori National Historic Park, and the Tucson Botanical Gardens.
These activities lead up to introductory weekend camping trips to settings like Mount Lemmon and Chiricahua
National Monument. In the summer, the most engaged participants from the school year get invited to
participate in one or more 5-day and 6-day camping trips to Sedona, Flagstaff, and the Grand Canyon.
“For many of the BGCT youth we engage in the program, Parks in Focus provides their first opportunity to visit
a national park, to camp overnight in tents, to hike, and to really connect with nature,” said Wagner. “Without
this partnership, most of our Club Members would not otherwise have these kinds of opportunities.”
Parks in Focus uses photography both as a tool to promote environmental learning, and as a creative outlet for
participants to document and reflect on their new outdoor experiences. The program’s unique curriculum teaches
introductory photography concepts—such as focus, perspective, composition, and lighting—as well as how to
use those concepts to explore the natural and cultural history of the sites visited. Throughout the program, participants meet and work alongside park rangers, professional photographers, and staff from the Udall
Foundation as they sharpen their photography skills and learn about the importance of national parks and
other public lands.
“Parks in Focus offers a comprehensive photography and outdoor learning curriculum with solid educational
outcomes,” Wagner said. “The way the program combines learning about digital photography while exploring
nature really interests our kids and encourages them to be enthusiastic about new experiences. Through the
camera they can observe so many details about their surroundings and use their creativity to capture any given
scene. The photos also offer memories of their experience to share with others.”
Photo highlights taken by the youth participants are featured on both the Udall Foundation and the BGCT social
media platforms as well as in exhibitions around town. Photos taken by the program’s 2018 participants are
now on display through November at the Western National Parks Association’s National Parks Store in Tucson.
“Partnerships have been vital to the success of Parks in Focus. Over the past two decades, we’ve grown from a
small pilot project reaching 12 kids each summer into a comprehensive, year-round program that reaches
approximately 500 local youth annually,” said Udall Foundation Executive Director Phil Lemanski. “It all started
here with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson. Without this partnership, Parks in Focus would not have realized its
potential.”
Today, the Udall Foundation hosts Parks in Focus programming with nearly two dozen other youth
organizations—including Big Brothers Big Sisters programs, YMCAs, and schools—throughout Tucson and
around the country. These partnerships are reaching nearly 1,000 kids per year across the different program
sites. The program is made possible in part through grants and donations received by Western National Parks
Association, the official nonprofit partner for Parks in Focus.
“Twenty years later, photography remains an effective and relevant way to engage youth with the outdoors
and with our nation’s public lands,” said Lemanski. “Ultimately, we are striving to inspire the next generation of
public lands visitors and stewards. Our future is bright.”
About the Udall Foundation
The Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation is an independent federal agency of the Executive Branch
established by Congress to honor the legacies of Representatives Morris K. Udall [1922-1998] and Stewart L.
Udall [1920-2010]. The Udall Foundation’s education programs include undergraduate scholarships, internships,
and the Stewart L. Udall Parks in Focus® Program. The Udall Foundation also operates the U.S. Institute for
Environmental Conflict Resolution, which assists agencies in resolving environmental disputes involving the federal
government. Learn more at www.udall.gov or call 520.901.8500.
About the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson
For more than 50 years, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Tucson has helped kids, especially those who need us most,
build a great future. Boys and Girls Clubs of Tucson provides affordable alternatives and after-school
programming to over 6,000 youth across Tucson and serves over 4,000 active Club members each year at its
six local Clubhouses. Using proven programs and resources, BGCT equips youth with pathways to success and
as a result they have the resilience and support to face challenges and seek solutions. Membership is only $20
per school year, while the true cost to the organization is $600 annually per child. No child is ever turned away
due to his/her inability to pay. BGCT is a trusted partner in empowering children and is a leading Tucson
charity. For more information about volunteering or contributing to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson, visit
www.bgctucson.org or call 520.573.3533.
Images: For images to use with this press release, please visit https://flic.kr/s/aHskJtmnhd or contact Bret
Muter at muter@udall.gov or 520.901.8569.
Celebrating 20 Years: Parks in Focus Partnership Background & Highlights
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