Students from Two Cities Reunite at Independence National Historical Park

Date: April 17, 2015
Contact: Jane Cowley, 215-597-0060

Philadelphia –On April 24, 2015, students from Stanton Elementary School in Washington, D.C., will join students from Philadelphia's Stanton Elementary School in Independence National Historical Park. The event will be the culmination of a celebration in honor of Marian Anderson, with a noon performance of My Country Tis of Thee in Independence National Historical Park.

Last November, 30 students from Stanton Elementary School in Philadelphia traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet 80 students from D.C.'s Stanton Elementary School.They gathered at the Lincoln Memorial to celebrate the 75^th anniversary of Marian Anderson's historic concert at the Lincoln Memorial.Students from these two schools were chosen for this honor because Marian Anderson was a graduate of Philadelphia's Stanton Elementary School.After touring the Lincoln Memorial, the students joined together to sing My Country 'Tis of Thee.

On April 24, the same students are gathering in Philadelphia to tour Independence NHP.They will have an opportunity to see the Liberty Bell and to tour Independence Hall.The students will each be given a copy of the Declaration of Independence to help them remember their trip but also to remind them that it was Marian Anderson who read the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia for our nation's Bicentennial on July 4, 1976.At noon, on Independence Mall at 5^th and Market Streets, they will again join together to sing My Country 'Tis of Thee.

Transportation for both groups was provided by 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.

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.