Enrichment Programs

The cornerstones of our enrichment programs are ​exposing students in our rural school to people, places, food, activities, and events with cultural and historical importance.

Field Studies

Field Studies are part of our core educational program. Students explore science and social studies themes through first-hand experiences in nature. Field Studies are focused throughout Yosemite National Park, as well as the surrounding areas of the Sierra Nevada.

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Fine Arts

We believe in an education rich in the creative arts.
Students are exposed to a well-rounded fine arts education. We emphasize multi-disciplinary art education where students create art and gain an understanding of the cultural and historical context of art. They also learn to describe, interpret, evaluate, & theorize about works of art, while examining the nature, meaning, and value of art. Additionally, students are also exposed to the performing arts through field trips, plays, musicals, operas, symphonies, ballets, and the multitude of live performances available in neighboring communities.

Life Skills & Cultural Cooking Classes

Cooking is an essential part of our education as it is an important life skill. Allowing students to cook and experience foods from around the world opens their minds and palates to the world beyond their own. It is a chance to bring the world a little closer and to start developing an appreciation for other cultures. Throughout the semester, students get to experience different types of ethnic foods. They help with the preparation, cooking, serving, and clean up. Students also study the related countries, cultures and people through various learning mediums.

Skiing & Snowboarding

We are blessed to have Badger Pass Ski Area right in our own backyard! During the winter months, our students spend one day a week learning and mastering fundamental skiing and snowboarding skills. Students have the option to participate in downhill skiing or snowboarding on a weekly basis with special days set apart for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. This program is sponsored, in large part, by Aramark (the public concessionaire for Yosemite National Park).

Guest Specialty Classes

Theater, poetry, music, etiquette, and gardening are just a few of the many enrichment programs that come to the school through community members.

Field Trips

Extended overnight field trips are a tradition at Yosemite-Wawona Elementary Charter School. Destinations and activities are determined by the academic themes of the year. As a multi-age class, we have toured Gold Country, visited the State Capitol in Sacramento, traveled to the opera and art museums in San Francisco, and have experienced a Broadway musical first-hand in Los Angeles! Students have also taken several trips to Washington, D.C. over the years.