This spring, Teton Science Schools welcomed local students to the Kelly Campus in Grand Teton National Park for the first Weekends in the Park program, part of the new Every Kid in Wyoming initiative, aimed at helping young people build deeper connections to the landscapes, wildlife, and communities that shape the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Weekends in the Park was created in partnership with Grand Teton National Park to offer accessible, locally rooted opportunities for students to spend meaningful time in the Park while strengthening science literacy, curiosity, and connection to place. This collaborative program was made possible by the generous support of Grand Teton National Park Foundation and the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole.
Centered on wildlife science and field research, the weekend hosted 25 fifth-grade students as they stepped into the roles of scientists, trackers, and observers. The experience extended beyond science lessons alone. Students spent time outside exploring trails, documenting animal signs across different habitats, sketching tracks, comparing pelts and scat from species, and creating their own journal accounts based on observations gathered throughout the weekend.
Time outside was balanced with shared meals, laughter, and games in the sagebrush, collaborative projects, and conversations with wildlife professionals about careers in stewardship and research.
One of the most meaningful aspects of the weekend was the opportunity for students to learn directly from working scientists and stewardship practitioners. Through conversations with biologists and wildlife experts from Grand Teton National Park and Teton Raptor Center, participants gained insight into the many pathways leading to careers in wildlife science and stewardship.
By the end of the weekend, students shared presentations, skits, and research reflections with their families, highlighting not only what they had learned but the excitement and confidence that had grown throughout the experience.
Most importantly, the weekend created space for students to see themselves as part of this landscape, not simply visiting it, but learning from it and caring for it. It also helped reinforce that these are their public lands, and that stewardship and science are not things to observe from afar but spaces where they belong, participate, and can make an impact.