AMP launches 2016 Every Kid in a Park program

A student looks up the name of one of the casualties of the Pacific War at one of the many memorials at the American Memorial Park. (Contributed Photo)

American Memorial Park encourages all fourth graders to visit the park this year as part of the Every Kid in a Park program.

Superintendent Jim Richardson said, “There’s so much to discover at American Memorial Park and we’re excited to welcome fourth graders and their families throughout the year. We hope that our young visitors learn and have fun in the great outdoors and develop a lifelong connection to our nation’s land, water, and wildlife.”

American Memorial Park was selected to receive a 2016 field trip grant from the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks, to support the Every Kid in a Park program. The grant is part of the Foundation’s Open OutDoors for Kids program. Students and teachers visit the national park where they will join park educators and Park Rangers on guided tours and various activities. Student activities include viewing the park film and a guided tour through the Visitor Center exhibit and the park’s memorials.

“These grants are planting the seeds for lifelong relationships with national parks and their programs,” said Will Shafroth, president of the National Park Foundation. “By providing access to transformative experiences like listening to the sound of birds chirping, walking the halls of a school that tell a civil rights story, looking up at a dark night sky, or pitching a tent with a friend for the first time, these children are forever impacted. We appreciate the power of national parks and, through our support, the National Park Foundation hopes to share them with as many kids as possible.”

Every Kid in a Park is part of President Obama’s commitment to protect our nation’s unique outdoor spaces and ensure that every American has the opportunity to visit and enjoy them. The program, now entering its second year, is a call to action for children to experience America’s spectacular outdoors, rich history and culture.

Every Kid in a Park is a crucial component of a multi-pronged approach to inspire the next generation to discover all that our nation’s public lands and waters have to offer, including opportunities to be active, spend time with friends and family, and serve as living classrooms to build critical skills.

The Every Kid in a Park program is an Administration-wide effort between the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Army, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The program continues each year with the then-current group of fourth graders. After 12 years, every school-age child in America will have had an opportunity to visit their public land and waters for free, inspiring the next generation to be stewards of our nation’s shared natural and cultural heritage.

For more information, please visit www.everykidinapark.gov and follow the program on Twitter @everykidinapark, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.