Stewart L. Udall Parks in Focus® Program

Foundation-Led Programs - Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Grand Canyon National Park was one of the first sites Parks in Focus® visited when the program launched more than two decades ago. In 2009, the Udall Foundation and the National Park Service formalized a partnership and began collaborating to co-host groups of youth for up to six-day Parks in Focus® experiences at Grand Canyon.

Members of the Parks in Focus® team facilitate each trip, leading hikes, activities, games, and photography lessons from their curriculum. Students also meet with professional artists like Adam Schallau who help them apply and expand upon the lessons they have learned on composition, perspective, and lighting.

Park rangers engage with the students throughout the trip and provide on-the-ground interpretation, introducing them to the rich ecology, geology, history, and cultures that have shaped Grand Canyon and the surrounding region. Camping within the park, students get to practice basic outdoor skills, go on challenging hikes into the canyon, and learn about career opportunities in public lands, science, conservation, and the arts.

Please contact Parks in Focus® Program Manager Ernesto Somoza at somoza@udall.gov or (520) 901-8566 for more information about the Parks in Focus® activities at Grand Canyon National Park.