News Release

Tonto National Monument Receives Field Trip Grant from the National Park Foundation

Date: October 11, 2018
Contact: Eric Schreiner, 928-467-2241 ext. 400

Roosevelt, AZ- Tonto National Monument will receive a field trip grant for the 2081-2019 school year from the National Park Foundation, the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service. Tonto National Monument will bring fourth grade students from seven local elementary schools to the Monument for a curriculum-based field trip.

This grant is part of the Foundation's Open OutDoors for Kids program which creates pathways for kids to explore and connect with national park experiences. 

"Trekking along trails, observing our natural ecosystems and engaging with our shared history are experiences that benefit all children," said National Park Foundation President Will Shafroth. "Making it possible for America's youth to explore our national parks in an investment in their future and the future of the national parks community."

The students will particiapte in a three-hour field trip program that introduces them to Arizona prehistory and archeology. They will hike a 1-mile roundtrip trail to an ancient cliff dwelling and discuss how archeology helps us to understand the past. Students then learn how those prehistoric people were able to survive and thrive in the American southwest.

"Bringing our local students to Tonto National Monument is one of our biggest goals," said Jennifer Smith, Education Technician. "We provide an opportunity for the students to walk through history and see and experience what they are learning in school. These students are our future; we hope to assist in their education."

View the full list of grantees and their projects.

ABOUT TONTO NATIONAL MONUMENT
Tonto National Monument protects two cliff dwellings built by the Salado people over 700 years ago. Established as a national monument in 1907 by President Teddy Roosevelt, the cliff dwellings were part of the early archeological preservation movement in America. Additional information is avaliable on the Monument's website, www.nps.gov/tont, or you may call 928-467-2241.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION
Celebrating 50 years, the National Park Foundation is the official charity of America's national parks and nonprofit partner to the National Park Service. Chartered by Congress in 1967, the National Park Foundation raises private funds to help PROTECT more than 84 million acres of national parks through critical conservation and preservation efforts, CONNECT all Americans with their incomparable natural landscapes, vibrant culture and rich history, and ENGAGE the next generation of park stewards. In 2016, commemorating the National Park Service's 100th anniversary, the Foundation launched The Centennial Campaign for America's National Parks, a comprehensive fundraising campaign to strengthen and enhance the future of those national treasures for the next hundred years. Find out more and become a part of the national park community at www.nationalparks.org.

For more information contact:

[phone] and tont_information@nps,gov or visit:
https://www.nps.gov/tont
https://www.facebook.com/TontoNPS
https://www.instagram.com/TontoNPS
https://twitter.com/tonto_nps