Stewart L. Udall Parks in Focus® Program
What is Parks in Focus®?
Parks in Focus® believes that all youth should have access and opportunities to visit, explore, and learn in nature and in our Nation’s public lands.
Since 1999, the Udall Foundation has been working with parks, schools, and youth organizations in
Tucson and other communities to:
- Provide positive outdoor experiences for youth with limited exposure to nature.
- Increase participants’ appreciation for their local environment and public lands.
- Encourage participants to use photography as a tool for environmental learning and as an outlet for creative expression and personal storytelling.
- Engage participants in service and stewardship.
Parks in Focus® activities occur virtually, in-school, afterschool, on the weekends, and during the summer. They range in duration from 30 minutes to six days and take place in a variety of
locations from schoolyards and city park systems to iconic national parks like Yosemite and
Grand Canyon. Thanks in part to generous donors and partners, Parks in Focus® programming is
provided at no cost to participants and their families.
Guided by our unique curriculum, Parks in Focus® integrates the arts, technology, environmental education, and outdoor exploration to make public lands more inclusive,
more accessible, and more relevant to new generations.