News Release

Fort Vancouver National Historic Site Announces New Virtual Field Trip Program for Educators and Students

Date: December 17, 2020
Contact: Scott Irvine, Park Guide, [phone]

Recognizing that the 2020/2021 school year will look different for many schools in the Portland/Vancouver metro area, Fort Vancouver National Historic Site has developed a new virtual field trip program to allow students to connect to the fascinating history of this national park. The educational program focuses on the 19th century Hudson’s Bay Company fur trading post of Fort Vancouver.

This online program features new videos produced by the National Park Service on five of Fort Vancouver’s most iconic buildings. The videos are paired with articles on the history of kids at Fort Vancouver, discussion questions, and educational activities, all designed to support Washington State educational standards.  

Beginning in January 2021, teachers will have the option to schedule a time for a national park ranger to connect with their classroom by scheduling a live, virtual ranger Q&A session. Reserved time slots will begin in February.

“In a typical year, Fort Vancouver National Historic Site welcomes thousands of local school children to the national park to learn about this historically significant place and the important history behind it,” said Superintendent Tracy Fortmann, “Since our ability to host field trips this year has been limited, we have designed this program to help support educators and students as they learn about the history of the Northwest. I am so proud of the program our staff have developed, and hope it will be a wonderful resource for our local community as well as communities throughout the United States. It has been a tough year for everyone and we understand that remote learning can be difficult. We hope that this program will assist teachers in providing their students with a special offering!"

This virtual field trip program was made possible through an Open Outdoors for Kids grant from the National Park Foundation and with in-kind support from the Friends of Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.

Educators can learn more about the Virtual Field Trip to Fort Vancouver program and how to use it in their classrooms here.