Date: March 10, 2015
Contact: Jane Cowley, 215-597-0060
Philadelphia –Independence National Historical Park is providing 31 free field trips this spring for Philadelphia schools to connect students with their heritage. This project will provide the opportunity for Philadelphia students to investigate the lives of colonial Americans who changed the course of history by demonstrating courage and perseverance in the quest for "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
This project will bring 914 students of grades 4 through 8 to visit Independence National Historical Park. The field trips will consist of three components.The students will be given a guided tour of Independence Hall, have a self-guided visit to the Liberty Bell Center, and have a ranger-led educational program using the park's Daily Life and Diversity in the 18th Century classroom.The park's education program manager, Jeffrey Collins, has created custom tour agenda for each of the schools visiting the park.
"Independence National Historical Park is pleased to partner with the National Park Foundation to create an opportunity for Philadelphia students to experience our nation's history," Superintendent Cynthia MacLeod said."Engaging students in our shared heritage will instill in them a sense of progress and possibility. This project will allow us to reach Philadelphia students who might not otherwise have been able to visit the park."
Independence National Historical Park is one of 65 national parks selected to receive a Ticket to Ride grant from the National Park
Foundation, the official charity of America's national parks. 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. The Ticket to Ride grants were made possible, in large part, through the support of Bayer USA Foundation, Disney, and Subaru of America.
"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."
www.nps.gov/inde
A unit of the National Park Service, Independence National Historical Park was created by an Act of Congress on June 28, 1948. Accredited by the American Association of Museums, Independence NHP covers almost 54 acres in Philadelphia's Old City, and includes Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Congress Hall, Franklin Court, and other historic buildings associated with the founding of the United States. The park is open from 9:00 am daily with the exception of Christmas day. A visit to Independence National Historical Park should start at the Independence Visitor Center, located at 6th and Market Streets.Here, visitors can pick up a park brochure, park map, and the free, timed tickets required for Independence Hall. For more information visit the park's website, https://www.nps.gov/inde or follow us at twitter.com/independencenhp.
