Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park Welcomes 4th Grade Students Through Every Kid in a Park Initiative

Young Ethan displays the new Every Kid in a Park free pass for 4th graders

NPS Photo/J.Ferracane

News Release Date: September 2, 2015

Contact: Jessica Ferracane, 808-985-6018

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park invites all fourth grade students to visit the park for free as part of the White House’s new Every Kid in a Park program. Starting today, fourth grade students can now go to www.everykidoutdoors.gov to complete an activity and obtain a free annual entry pass to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas, including national parks.

 

“Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park has a long tradition of connecting keiki and classrooms to the volcanoes, Hawaiian culture, and native plants and animals in their backyard,” said Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando. “Now we can expand the invitation by offering free entry to local and national fourth graders and their families for free, and connect the next generation of park visitors, supporters and advocates to the park as we enter our 100th year,” Orlando said. 

 

Children who visit Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park can participate in lots of fun and engaging ways, like earning a Junior Ranger badge through the Junior Ranger programs, going on a ranger-guided program, signing up for a Kahuku ‘Ohana Day, and much more. 

 

To receive their free pass for national parks, fourth graders can visit the Every Kid in a Park website and play a game to access their special Every Kid in a Park pass. Fourth graders and their families can then use this pass for free entry to national parks and other federal public lands and waters across the country from Sept. 1, 2015 through Aug. 31, 2016. The website also includes fun and engaging learning activities aligned to educational standards, trip-planning tools, safety and packing tips and other important and helpful information for educators and parents.

 

In addition to providing every fourth grader in America a free entry pass for national parks and federal public lands and waters, fourth grade educators, youth group leaders and their students across the country will also participate in the program through field trips and other learning experiences. 

 

The goal of the Every Kid in a Park program is to connect fourth graders with the great outdoors and inspire them to become future environmental stewards, ready to preserve and protect national parks and other public lands for years to come. The program is an important park of the National Park Service’s centennial celebration in 2016, which encourages everyone to Find Your Park.

 

Every Kid in a Park in an administrative-wide effort, launched by President Obama, and supported by eight federal agencies, including the National Park Service, the Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Department of Education, Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

 

-NPS-