National Park Service Provides Learning Experiences for Students at Spring Garden Elementary School

Date: May 9, 2014
Contact: Jane Cowley, 215-597-0060

Philadelphia – Fifth grade students at Spring Garden Elementary School will get a chance this spring to study with the National Park Service, learning the roles of Park Rangers and Park Volunteers.In a special event, new this year, these students will help distribute free books to all the students at their school.

The National Park Service has provided programs for the fifth grade students at Spring Garden Elementary School for over a decade. Students are enrolled as Junior Rangers at their closest national park, the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site.This year, these students will visit the Edgar Allan Poe House, volunteer to improve the gardens at Poe's home, study our nation's founders at Independence National Historical Park, learn about the coastal ecosystem at Cape May, remove invasive crawfish at Valley Forge National Historical Park, and help distribute books to all the students at Spring Garden Elementary School.

At a Book Give Away on May 16, 1:30 pm at the Spring Garden Elementary School, these Junior Rangers will help distribute books to all the students at their school.Through a new partnership between Duffy Books in Homes, USA and the Friends of Independence National Historical Park a total of 980 books will be given away, providing all Spring Garden students with free books to take home, keep, and enjoy.  

"We are very pleased to help the students of Spring Garden School learn about our nation's history by providing these books," Austin Morris, Jr., Chairman of the Friends of Independence National Historical Park said. "Part of our mission is to help promote the educational activities of the park, and helping these students to enjoy reading is an excellent way to advance our mission."

The fifth grade Junior Rangers will welcome Duffy Books Sponsors, Frank Bolte, Chief Administration Officer, BDP International, Greg Howard, CEO, CaroTrans International, Dr. Richard Quest, President, Duffy Books in Homes USA, Inc., and Austin Morris, Jr., Board Chairman of the Friends of Independence National Historical Park to the event.

Duffy Books in Homes USA, a not-for-profit organization, provides free, high-quality books for students from low-income schools.  Currently serving 19 schools and organizations in the Upstate New York region, and providing 275,000 books in the past six years, Duffy Books is thrilled to expand to the Philadelphia area.

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 6^th 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/indeor follow us at twitter.com/independencenhp.