News Release

Transportation Grant Opportunity for Area Schools to Visit Andersonville National Historic Site.

Ranger providing an education program to a group of students.

NPS

News Release Date: April 27, 2019

Contact: Lindsay Galland, [phone]

Contact: Alanna Sobel, [phone]

ANDERSONVILLE, Georgia – Area Title 1 schools are invited to partner with Andersonville National Historic Site (NHS) for the 2019-2020 Open Outdoors for Kids program. This grant program, funded by the National Park Foundation, will cover the cost of transportation for field trips to the park. Open OutDoors for Kids program focuses on providing unique learning opportunities and introducing national park sites to 4^th grade aged students across America.
 
“I can still remember the excitement of exploring my first national park as a kid and it made me want to discover more,” said National Park Foundation President Will Shafroth. “I’m thrilled that our National Park Foundation grants make it possible for hundreds of thousands of kids to experience the wonder of parks for the first time, sparking a lifelong love for national parks.”
 
This past school year, Andersonville NHS partnered with Taylor County Upper Elementary School and Schley County Elementary School. Each school received a portion of the grant funds to help cover transportation costs. During a series of in-classroom and on-site visits led by park rangers, students learned about the Civil War and what happened at Andersonville. Each program met Georgia performance standards for Social Studies.
 
For the 2019-2020 academic year we aim to expand the program and partner with additional Title 1 schools. Our hope is to reach more students and invite them to learn and experience their history first hand. We encourage other area schools to contact us to find out how they can partner with us for this grant opportunity.
 
Andersonville National Historic Site is located 10 miles south of Oglethorpe, GA and 10 miles northeast of Americus, GA on Georgia Highway 49. The national park features the National Prisoner of War Museum, Andersonville National Cemetery and the site of the historic Civil War prison, Camp Sumter. ­Andersonville National Historic Site is the only national park within the National Park System to serve as a memorial to all American prisoners of war. Park grounds are open from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. The National Prisoner of War Museum is open 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., daily. Admission is free. For more information on the park, call 229 924-0343, or visit at www.nps.gov/ande/ Visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AndersonvilleNPS, Twitter www.twitter.com/andeNHS
 
NPS
 
About the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 409 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov Visit us on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice, and YouTube www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.
 
About the National Park Foundation: Celebrating 50 years, the National Park Foundation is the official charity of America’s national parks and nonprofit partner to the National Park Service. Chartered by Congress in 1967, the National Park Foundation raises private funds to help PROTECT more than 84 million acres of national parks through critical conservation and preservation efforts, CONNECT all Americans with their incomparable natural landscapes, vibrant culture and rich history, and ENGAGE the next generation of park stewards. In 2016, commemorating the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary, the Foundation launched The Centennial Campaign for America’s National Parks, a comprehensive fundraising campaign to strengthen and enhance the future of these national treasures for the next hundred years. Find out more and become a part of the national park community at www.nationalparks.org.