Sam Gibbons: “what a better way to celebrate Earth Day than to honor the great example of a public-private partnership known as the…”

“what a better way to celebrate Earth Day than to honor the great example of a public-private partnership known as the Yosemite National Institutes, an organization that provides award-winning environmental education programs in America's national parks. YNI now welcomes more than 32,000 participants each year to its three institutes in the magnificent natural settings of Yosemite and Olympic National Parks as well as the Golden Gate National Recreational Area. Since its founding in 1971, more than 450,000 school children and adults have experienced YNI programs. The partnership between YNI and the National Park Service is commendable. YNI does not receive government funding, but performs a great percentage of the interpretation in each of the parks where it exists. At YNI, learning occurs in an advocacy-free environment. Ideas and values are not forced upon students; instead, they learn important processes of applying critical thinking to questions and choices that will confront them now and in the future. YNI is now celebrating 28 years of extraordinary service. I commend all of those who have contributed to this wonderful program and its achievements.”