Biscayne National Park Receives National Park Foundation Grant

Date: January 5, 2016
Contact: Matt Johnson, 786-335-3679

 HOMESTEAD, Fla. --- Biscayne National Park is one of the federal sites selected around the country to receive a student field trip grant from the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks. The $9,000 grant will help cover the transportation costs for over 1,200 students to visit the park.

“It is inspiring to see the National Park Foundation and many other partners step up to support our goal of getting fourth graders and their families into parks, public lands and waters that belong to all Americans," said Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. "These generous grants will ensure children across the country have an opportunity to experience the great outdoors in their community while developing a lifelong connection to our nation’s land, water and wildlife."

“Biscayne National Park is an amazing classroom that amplifies knowledge learned in school,” said Jay Johnstone, the park’s Education Program Coordinator. “Through activities like plankton studies, lionfish dissection and art, students practice and apply real world skills that help them become informed citizens, better stewards of natural resources, and more aware of the amazing natural and cultural stories of the Miami area.”

Hundreds of thousands of students live near to a national park they have not yet visited. All park education programs are free, yet transportation costs remain as one of the biggest hurdles schools face in providing field trips to the park. The National Park Foundation grant covers up to $250 for the transportation costs of each school. With funding for transportation and in-park learning provided, students and their families have opportunities to experience the park for themselves. People from all backgrounds can discover how the park is relevant to their lives.

National Park Foundation grants made it possible for more than 400,000 to visit national parks and other public lands and waters throughout the United States. For the full list of grantees and their projects visit nationalparks.org/everykidinapark. The grants support the White House youth initiative Every Kid in a Park.

For more information about Biscayne National Park visit nps.gov/bisc or follow the park on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram at “biscaynenps.”

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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.