Dr. Yoshino headshot photo

Aiko Yoshino

Associate Professor
RPT
Email: ayoshino@sfsu.edu
Location: HSS 338

Dr. Yoshino is an Associate Professor in the Department of Recreation, Parks & Tourism at San Francisco State University (SF State). Her scholarly agenda is rooted in the health impacts of exposure to nature. Her research includes the psychological resilience gained through extended wilderness-based programs as well as nature-based interventions for marginalized communities to prevent chronic illnesses. She works closely with community-based organizations for research, teaching, and innovative program development.

Her teaching experience includes a range of levels, schools to professional groups, and places, educational outdoor expeditions from Alaska, Taiwan to the Himalayas.  She serves for the State-wide Advisory Council influencing California’s Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP), the Outward Bound USA National Safety Board, and the East Bay Regional Parks District Multicultural Advisory Committee. Dr. Yoshino is originally from Japan, an enthusiastic educator, a collaborative scholar, and a mother.

CV Yoshino

  • Yoshino, A., (2023). Stay Humble and Stay Curious. In R. Yerkes, D. Mitten, K. & Warren (Eds.), Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Field Guide: Stories of Lived Experiences (pp. 174-183). The Association for Experiential Education.

  • Yoshino, A., & Priest, S. (June, 2022). Program ideas: How to build resilience. Association for Experiential Education resource page. Retrieved from https://www.aee.org/chip

  • Francisco-Menchavez, V., Yoshino, A., Gallo, C., Thoyre, A., & Viren, P. (2023). The Practice of the Commons and the Ethics of Sharing—Aspiring Toward Abolitionist Pedagogy Through Faculty Collaboration. About Campus, 28(2), 17–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/10864822231182084

  • *Nicolosi, V., Wilson, J., Yoshino, A., & Viren, P. (2020). The restorative potential of coastal walks and implications of sound. Journal of Leisure Research, 52(1), 41-61. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222216.2020.174132

  • *Wilson, R., Látková, P., Yoshino, A., & Sheffield, E. (2020). Changes in Volunteerism Perception: Results from an International Service Learning Case Study. SCHOLE: A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1080/1937156X.2020.1718038

  • Yoshino, A., Wilson, J., *Velazquez, E., *Joshnon, E., & Márquez-Magaña, L. (2018). Healthy Parks Healthy people as an upstream stress reduction strategy. Recreation, Parks, and Tourism in Public Health Journal, 2, 35-56. https://doi.org/10.2979/rptph.2.1.03
  • Wilson, J., McGinnis, N., Látková, P., Yoshino, A., & Tierney, P. (2016). Urban park soundscapes: Association of noise and danger with perceived restoration. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 34(3), 16-35.
  • Ewert, A., & Yoshino, A. (2011). The influence of short-term adventure-based experiences on levels of resilience. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning. 11(1), 35-50.

Notes. *: Represents student co-authors or co-presenters

  • Yoshino, A. (2023). Outdoor Recreation Training 2 for the Presidio Tunnel Top Staff, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, San Francisco, May 6. 

  • Yoshino, A., Wilson, J., *Velazquez, E. J., *Johnson, E., & Márquez-Magaña L. (2019). Impacts of a longitudinal park-based public health intervention for racial and ethnic minority members living in a low-income urban community. Poster presented at the Active Living Research Conference. February 17-20, 2019, Charleston, SC, February.

  • Yoshino, A. (2019). Meanings of a 10-month outdoor recreation program for high-risk urban adolescents: A pilot youth program by East Bay Regional Park District. Poster presented at the Active Living Research Conference. February 17-20, 2019, Charleston, SC, February.

  • Yoshino, A. (August, 2018). Outdoor Recreation as a strategy to get children and youth active. Presentation at the North American Society for Paediatric Exercise Medicine, Oakland, CA.
  • Yoshino, A. (2018). Nature and resilience – the adventure education perspective. Presented at the Exploring Nature and Health: The Latest Science and Strategies to Integrate Nature into Patient Care, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland – Center for Nature and Health (CNH) and Primary Care Clinic.
  • Yoshino, A. (2015, February). Experiential Learning – A Tale from An Immigrant Woman of Color. Keynote Speech at Association for Experiential Education West Regional Conference, San Francisco, CA, February 26-28.

Notes. *: Represents student co-authors or co-presenters

  • Yoshino, A. (April 2021). The program expansion of East Bay Regional Park District’s Adventure Crew: Oakland Naturalist’s first year, 2019-2020 (pp. 4). Oakland, CA: East Bay Regional Park District. Retrieved from https://sfsu.box.com/s/2lx39qbs8p3ysip7w9s095einiubkqw7
  • Yoshino, A., & *Dawson, E. (July, 2021). A mix-method study of promoting well-being and environmental literacy: East Bay Regional Park District’s Adventure Crew 10-month youth program (pp.47). Oakland, CA: East Bay Regional Park District. Retrieved from https://sfsu.box.com/s/0zalvyzwseyyim7n5qz5er5krqag69z5
  • Yoshino, A., & *Dawson, E. (July, 2019). Adventure Crew: Measuring outcomes and Impacts of the East Bay Regional Park District’s outdoor program for underserved youth, 2017-2018 (pp.39). Oakland, CA: East Bay Regional Park District. Retrieved from https://sfsu.box.com/s/lvki4aoqmy6emlgr0tnnt8rwnw4vv2u5
  • Yoshino, A., & *Corona, A. (May, 2018). The East Bay Regional Park District’s Adventure Crew/Richmond Rangers Youth Program: An inquiry into Program Outcomes and the Elements for Success (pp. 39). Oakland, CA: East Bay Regional Park District. Retrieved from https://sfsu.box.com/s/ixi95m90fgm2bwjgyerba55xwi0zsnj7
  • Yoshino, A., & Wilson J. (April, 2019). Nature-based Health Intervention: East Bay Regional Park District’s Promoting Activity and Stress-reduction in the Outdoors (PASITO) for Latina Center (pp. 35) Oakland, CA: East Bay Regional Park District. Retrieved from https://sfsu.box.com/s/bm60ahglfdrfdwzpkq4xlvvidv2o0my0
  • *Wilson, R., Hernandez, E., Látková, P., Wilson, J., & Yoshino, A. (August, 2017). Amtrak California survey development: Onboard Passenger Rail Survey Final Survey Instrument with Spanish Translation (Vol. 19, pp. 116) Sacramento, CA: California Department of Transportation, Division of Rail.
  • Yoshino, A., Wilson, J., Látková, P., & *Wilson, R. (August, 2017). Amtrak California survey development: Online versus onboard data collection- 2nd round (Vol. 18, pp. 61) Sacramento, CA: California Department of Transportation, Division of Rail.

Notes. *: Represents student co-authors or co-presenters

San Francisco State University

  • RPT 200 Foundation in Recreation, Parks & Tourism
  • RPT 230 Growth Through Adventures
  • RPT 300 Leadership in Recreation, Parks & Tourism
  • RPT 350 Facilitating Wellness through Leisure
  • RPT 370 Nonprofit Administration
  • RPT 380 Developmental Play Processes
  • RPT 400 Programming in Recreation, Parks & Tourism
  • RPT 520 Outdoor Recreation & Park Resources
  • RPT 690 Internship Supervision
  • RPT 699 Independent Study

Other Institutions: Ohio University; Indiana University; Ithaca College; The Evergreen College; National Taiwan Sports University and others

  • Graduate Courses

    • Contemporary Issues 
    • Facilitating the Adventure Experience
    • Leisure and Sport in Society
  • Lecture-based Courses
    • Community Development and Wellness
    • Facility Management
    • Introduction to Leisure
    • Introduction to Personal Health
    • Leisure Program Development
    • Recreation Activities and Leadership Methods
    • Seminar in Leadership Training
  • Field-based Courses
    • Backpacking (3 to 28-day expeditions) 
    • Conservation in Outdoor Recreation and Education (CORE) Program (21-day expedition)
    • High altitude trekking (e.g., Nepal)
    • Intermediate Rock Climbing 
    • Leave No Trace Ethics (field-based)
    • Map & Compass  
    • Outdoor Leadership (14-day expedition)
    • Rock Climbing
    • Sea Kayaking
    • Wilderness First Aid  

Nonprofit Organizations: Outward Bound USA, National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), Wilderness Education Association

  • Advanced rock climbing, alpine backpacking (12- and 14-day expeditions)
  • Backpacking, Sea kayaking, and canoeing, WA and CA (14- and 21-day expeditions)
  • Backpacking, snow/glacier travel camping, AK and WY (32-day expedition)

Total $1.9M+, 14 grants/contracts (2014-2023)

  • 98% External grants and contracts
  • 97% Students involved
  • 89% System analyses, 6% field-based, 3% lab research
  • 86% Served as PI or Co-PI

External

  • Yoshino (PI), East Bay Regional Park District, A Validation Study of Participants Demographics for the East Bay Regional Park District Interpretive and Recreation Services Program, 2023-24

  • Yoshino (Trainer), GGNRA Tunnel Top Adventure Guides, 2022, 2023

  • Yoshino (PI), East Bay Regional Park District: Adventure Crew III, The outcomes of the Adventure Crew/Richmond Rangers youth program, 2019               

  • Yoshino (PI), East Bay Regional Park District: Adventure Crew II, Evaluation Matrix for the Adventure Crew program (Phase 2), 2018               

  • Yoshino (PI), East Bay Regional Park District: PASITO, Health impacts of nature walks among Latinx adults living low-income community, 2017-2019

  • Yoshino (PI), East Bay Regional Park District: Adventure Crew I, Impacts of an outdoor education program for youth in low-income household (Phase 1), 2017-2018      

  • Wilson/Yoshino (Co-PI), GG National Parks Conservancy, Healthy Parks Health People (HPHP) Bay Area programs, 2017               

  • Látková/Wilson (Co-PI’s), CalTrans, Passenger rail travel and onboard survey development (Role: Research Associate), 2014-2017       

  • Yoshino (Program Dir.), National Forest Foundation, 2014-2015                 

Internal

  • Yoshino, A. (Co-PI) RSCA Recovery Research Award, 2022

  • Yoshino, A. (Lead), High Impact Online Course Redesign Project, 2021

  • Wilson, J. (PI), DRC Grant, Role: Co-investigator), 2019-2020           

  • Yoshino. A. (Solo), Institute for Civic & Community Engagement, 2017-2018