Getting Ready for 2016

The National Park Service turns 100 on August 25, 2016. To us, it's not about cakes and candles — it's about being an organization ready to take on the challenges of our second century. Our blueprint to get there — A Call to Action — outlines the innovative work we want to accomplish. Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail is a big part of this effort. Take a look at what we're doing locally and get involved!

• Chesapeake Youth Corps Work, Play, and Learn on the Trail

  

  NPS CHBA and partner Parks & People Foundation are working together to engage youth in stewardship, learning, and playing on the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail in their hometown of Baltimore, MD. Read more

• Teaching the Teachers

  

  The War of 1812 is sometimes referred to as "the forgotten war". Even in the Chesapeake, where many of the skirmishes, raids, battles, and encounters between British troops and American citizens happened, the stories and places commemorated on the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail are not well known. In July, 2012, thirty "ambassador" teachers participated in a residential seminar -- and will take these lessons home to their own schools. Read more

• The Virtual Resource Center for Teachers

  

  To help teachers provide every student with a star-spangled experience, the NPS Chesapeake Bay Office partnered with Maryland Public Television, the Friends of Fort McHenry, and the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority to create a one-stop shop for lesson plans, curricula, and interactive games all about the War of 1812. Read more