San Francisco, California - San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park is one of 113 national parks selected to receive a 2015 field trip grant from the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks. Transportation for 4th grade classes from San Francisco Unified School Districts will be funded with this grant.
As part of the National Park Foundation’s Open OutDoors for Kids program, this grant (funded in part by Disney) provides funding for materials and logistics to make national park field trips, citizen science projects, Junior Ranger activities, experiential learning opportunities, and more possible.
Including this year’s grantees, National Park Foundation grants have made it possible for more than 300,000 students to visit national parks.
“Through programs like Open OutDoors for Kids and the Find Your Park/Encuentra Tu Parque movement, we are creating the next generation of park stewards, connecting youth across the country to these special places and inspiring their natural curiosity and love for them,” said Will Shafroth, president and CEO of the National Park Foundation. “We are grateful to all of our partners, including Disney, that make such programs possible and help more people find their park.”
“By sharing parks with kids at such a young age, we’re building a strong generation of park stewards who will care for and protect these treasured places into the next 100 years,” said Jonathan B. Jarvis, director of the National Park Service. “Thanks to our philanthropic partner, the National Park Foundation, we’re able to strengthen and enrich our parks through the lasting bond these experiences foster.”
Working with a 4th grade teacher, the park has created a brand new, 4th grade lesson plan aligned with Next Generation Science Standards, Common Core Language Arts Standards and Grade 4 California Social Studies Standards. The field trip, and the pre-and post-lesson activities, give students the opportunity to compare and contrast four of the park’s historic ships, learn about the technology that runs them, and the role of maritime commerce in developing the city of San Francisco as we know it today.
San Francisco Unified School District 4th grade teachers who are interested in bringing their class on a free field trip to San Francisco Maritime NHP can email outreach specialist Lucien Sonder at e-mail us or call her at 415-561-7177 to find out availability of transportation assistance.
“This grant will enable us to invite approximately 700 students across San Francisco to our park, and offer them a high quality field trip experience, at no cost to families or schools. Many of these students have never had the chance to visit a national park, even in their own hometown. With the help of their new ‘Every Kid in a Park’ pass, we hope these 4th graders will develop a love for public lands and history--maybe they will even be inspired to become the next generation’s park rangers!” said Lucien Sonder.
For the full list of park grantees, and their projects, visit www.nationalparks.org/ticket-adventure.
Since 2014, Disney has been the lead sponsor of Open OutDoors for Kids, helping youth experience a national park, many of them for the first time.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 409 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at: www.nps.gov.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION
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 INSPIRE the next generation of park stewards. Find out more and become a part of the national park community at www.nationalparks.org.
ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO MARITIME NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park includes a fleet of National Historic Landmark vessels, Small Boat Shop, Maritime Museum, Visitor Center, and a maritime research center. For more information, please call 415-447-5000 or visit nps.gov/safr, Twitter @SFMaritimeNPS, and Facebook.com/SanFranciscoMaritimeNHP.
