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Contact: Liz Davis, 410-629-6087 The National Park Service and Assateague Island National Seashore is proud to help launch the Every Kid in a Park program, as 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. Starting today, fourth graders nationwide can visit the new Every Kid in a Park website to obtain a pass that provides free access to students and their families to all federally managed lands and waters –including national parks, forests and wildlife refuges. The pass is valid for the 2015-2016 school year and grants free entry for fourth graders and three accompanying adults (or an entire car for drive-in parks) at more than 2,000 federally-managed sites.
Assateague Island National Seashore Superintendent, Debbie Darden said, "There's a lot to discover here, and we're excited to welcome fourth graders and their families to Assateague Island throughout the school year. We hope that our young visitors have fun in the great outdoors and develop a lifelong connection to our nation's land, water and wildlife."
Leading up to the 100th birthday of the National Park Service in 2016, President Obama launched the Every Kid in a Park initiative earlier this year as a call to action to get all children to experience America's unparalleled outdoors. Today, more than 80 percent of American families live in urban areas, and many lack easy access to safe outdoor spaces. At the same time, youth spend more hours than ever in front of screens instead of outside.
Fourth graders can log onto the website at www.everykidinapark.gov and complete a fun educational activity in order to obtain and print their pass. Students can also trade in their paper pass for an official access card at participating federal sites nationwide.
Educators and community leaders can access educational activities, field trip options, and the ability to print passes for their classrooms. Parents visiting the new website can find additional links for more information on planning trips to nearby public lands.
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 administered in partnership with the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Education, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The Every Kid in a Park paper pass may be exchanged for an official card at the Assateague Island Visitor Center and the campground office in the Maryland District. Paper passes may be exchanged at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge entrance station and Toms Cove Visitor Center in the Virginia District.
For more information, please visit www.everykidinapark.gov, and follow the program on Twitter @everykidinapark, on Facebook, on Instagram and Youtube. For additional information on Assateague Island National Seashore, please visit www.nps.gov/asis and participate in the conversation at www.facebook.com/AssateagueNPS, www.twitter.com/AssateagueNPS, www.youtube.com/user/AssateagueNPS, and www.instagram.com/assateaguenps.
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Last updated: September 18, 2015