New National Program Encourages Families and Classes to Visit National Parks

Olympic National Park invites all fourth-grade students to visit the park for free as part of the White House’s new Every Kid in a Park program.

Effective September 1, fourth-grade students across the country can visit www.everykidinapark.gov to complete an activity and earn a free annual entry pass to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas, including national parks.

“Olympic is a great place for kids and families to play, learn and explore together, and we’re excited to welcome fourth graders and their families during this special centennial year,” said Olympic National Park Superintendent Sarah Creachbaum. “Our rangers love visiting Olympic Peninsula  fourth grade classrooms every year during the Ecosystem Olympic program, and we’re looking forward to having them bring their families to visit us!”

“During the National Park Service’s centennial celebration, we want everyone to get to know their national parks, and we’re offering a special invitation to fourth-graders and their families to discover everything that national parks offer,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis.

Olympic National Park offers a variety of activities that fourth-graders and their families can enjoy, including becoming an Olympic Junior Ranger or Ocean Steward, visiting the park’s Discovery Room at the Olympic National Park Visitor Center or participating in ranger-led walks and activities.  The park’s beaches, forests and mountains provide a myriad of places where families can play, explore and learn together.

To receive their free national parks pass, fourth graders can visit the Every Kid in a Park website and play an online game.  When they have finished the game, fourth graders will be able to access their free pass and they and their families can then use this pass for free entry to national parks and other federal public lands and waters across the country from September 1st, 2015 through August 31, 2016.  The website also includes fun and engaging learning activities aligned to educational standards, trip planning tools, safety and packing tips and other important and helpful information for educators and parents.

In addition to providing every fourth grader in America a free entry pass for national parks and federal public lands and waters, fourth grade educators, youth group leaders and their students across the country will also participate in the program through field trips and other learning experiences.  During the park’s long-standing ‘Ecosystem Olympic’ program, rangers visit every  fourth-grade classroom on the Olympic Peninsula with hands-on learning activities that introduce students to the park and its opportunities for fun and exploration. Classrooms that have participate in ‘Ecosystem Olympic’ are also invited to take A Walk in the Woods and explore the forest ecosystem of Olympic National Park with park rangers.

The goal of the Every Kid in a Park program is to connect fourth graders with the great outdoors and inspire them to become future environmental stewards, ready to preserve and protect national parks and other public lands for years to come.  The program is an important part of the National Park Service’s centennial celebration in 2016, which encourages everyone to Find Your Park.

Every Kid in a Park is an administrative-wide effort, launched by President Obama, and supported by eight federal agencies, including the National Park Service, the Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Department of Education, Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.