Houston, a Focus City in the Every Kid in a Park Program, Receives Field Trip Grant from the National Park Foundation

Date: October 6, 2017
Contact: Jason Ginder, 409-951-6700

Big Thicket National Preserve and the City of Houston, Texas, were selected to receive a 2017 field trip grant from the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks. Conservation and education groups from across the Houston area have come together to provide field trip opportunities to over 10,000 fourth grade students during this academic school year.

This grant, part of the Foundation’s Open OutDoors for Kids program, supports Every Kid in a Park. Beyond making field trips possible, the Every Kid in a Park Focus City program raises local community awareness about the importance of connecting kids to the outdoors.

“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.”

Over a dozen Houston-based organizations have come together in support of this project. Through this partnership, teachers have access to a comprehensive online resource for nature-based field trips in the region, and Title 1 Schools in districts throughout the Houston area can receive reimbursement for bus transportation for their fourth grade classes to experience these amazing outdoor spaces. For more information, educators may visit http://www.hereinhouston.org/ekiphouston.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION

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 INSPIRE 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.