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Contact: Hollie Lynch, 301-491-0149
Hagerstown, MD (August 28, 2014) – Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park is one of 65 national parks selected to receive a 2014 Ticket to Ride grant from the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America's national parks. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park's Canal Classrooms Education Program empowers student-driven discovery and learning along 184.5 miles of historic canal towpath. Engaging school aged students in science, math, history, engineering and technology, Canal Classrooms features opportunities to connect with tens of thousands of students across grade levels, content areas and school districts. Now in its third year, the Ticket to Ride program provides the much-needed funds to make national park field trips possible for schools across the country. "We know that one of the greatest barriers keeping America's youth from visiting their national parks is access to transportation," said Neil Mulholland, president and CEO of the National Park Foundation. "Through our Ticket to Ride program, we eliminate that barrier and open up a world of experiential learning in our nation's largest classrooms –our national parks –and help inspire stewardship of these treasured places." Around 1,000,000 school aged children live within a 45-minute drive of the C&O Canal National Historical Park. Through its Canal Classrooms program, the park provides opportunities for students to directly experience a national park, exploring natural and historical resources in a setting that provokes thought, inspires wonder and ignites understanding. One of the biggest obstacles to reaching this audience is transportation. This project will fully or partially support the cost of transportation for a minimum of 2,500 students to attend curriculum based education programs in the park. "We are pleased to accept the 2014 Ticket to Ride Grant," stated C&O Canal Superintendent Kevin Brandt, "and look forward to partnering with the National Park Foundation to engage new, diverse student audiences in curriculum based education programming at their local national park." The 2014 Ticket to Ride grants were made possible, in large part, through the support of Bayer USA Foundation, Disney, and Subaru of America. For the full list of park grantees, and their projects, visit the Ticket to Ride page on the National Park Foundation website. For more information on the National Park Foundation and how to support and protect America's national parks, please visit www.nationalparks.org. For more information on the National Park Service, please visit www.nps.gov. ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 401 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. 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. Find out more and become a part of the national park community at www.nationalparks.org. |
Last updated: April 10, 2015