Every 4th Grader in America to Get a One-Year Pass to Every National Park for them & their Family!

[NYC_SKP]

OMG!!! This is SO COOL!

Let’s Get Every Kid in a Park

Arne Duncan, Sally Jewell, Tom Vilsack, Jo-Ellen Darcy, Kathryn Sullivan
February 19, 2015



From sea to shining sea, our country is home to gorgeous landscapes, vibrant waterways, and historic treasures that all Americans can enjoy. But right now, young people are spending more time in front of screens than outside, and that means they are missing out on valuable opportunities to explore, learn, and play in the spectacular outdoor places that belong to all of them.

President Obama is committed to giving every kid the chance to explore America’s great outdoors and unique history. That’s why today he launched the Every Kid in a Park initiative, which calls on each of our agencies to help get all children to visit and enjoy the outdoors and inspire a new generation of Americans to experience their country’s unrivaled public lands and waters. Starting in September, every fourth-grader in the nation will receive an “Every Kid in a Park” pass that’s good for free admission to all of America’s federal lands and waters -- for them and their families -- for a full year.



Because we know that a big reason many kids don’t visit these places is that they can’t get there easily, we will also help schools and families arrange field trips and visits by providing key trip-planning tools and helping to cover transportation costs for schools with the greatest financial need. For example, the National Park Foundation -- the congressionally chartered foundation of the National Park Service -- is expanding its program to award transportation grants for kids to visit parks, lands, and waters. The President has also requested new funding in his FY 2016 Budget to support youth education programs and to support transportation for school outings to parks for students from low-income areas.

And because the great outdoors is one of our greatest classrooms, we are making sure that more kids can benefit from the wide range of educational programs and tools that already exist. For example, a number of our agencies participate in Hands on the Land, a national network connecting students, teachers, families, and volunteers with public lands and waterways. And the National Park Service is launching a revised education portal featuring more than 1,000 materials developed for K-12 teachers, including science labs, lesson plans, and field trip guides. With this kind of support, we can help our children become lifelong learners -- both inside and outside the classroom.



http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/02/19/let-s-get-every-kid-park

[upaloopa]

1. 4th grade isn't every kid

[NYC_SKP]

2. I guess you did not read the article. They are targeting ALL KIDS. See the fine print.

Here's a bit that you missed:

FACT SHEET: Launching the Every Kid in a Park Initiative and Designating New National Monuments

The Initiative Will Also:

Make it easy for schools and families to plan trips: The Administration will distribute information and resources to make it easy for teachers and families to identify nearby public lands and waters and to find programs that support youth outings.

Provide transportation support to schools with the most need: As an integral part of this effort, the National Park Foundation (NPF) – the congressionally chartered foundation of the National Park Service – is expanding and re-launching its Ticket to Ride program as Every Kid in a Park, which will award transportation grants for kids to visit parks, public lands and waters, focusing on schools that have the most need.

Provide educational materials: The initiative will build on a wide range of educational programs and tools that the federal land management agencies already use. For example, NPS has re-launched a website with over 1,000 materials developed for K-12 teachers, including science labs, lesson plans, and field trip guides. And a number of federal agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Education, and NPS participate in Hands on the Land, a national network of field classrooms and agency resources that connects students, teachers, families, and volunteers with public lands and waterways.

To further support this effort, the President’s 2016 Budget includes a total increased investment of $45 million for youth engagement programs throughout the Department of the Interior, with $20 million specifically provided to the National Park Service for youth activities, including bringing 1 million fourth-grade children from low-income areas to national parks. This increase will also fund dedicated youth coordinators to help enrich children and family learning experiences at parks and online.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/02/19/fact-sheet-launching-every-kid-park-initiative-and-designating-new-natio

[upaloopa]

6. We know where the parks are. It said 4th

graders to get free pass and their families, did you ignore that part?

[NYC_SKP]

7. Transportation grants for all grades, educational materials for all kids, and 4th grade gets passes.

The headline is "Let's Get Every Kid in a Park".

The headline is NOT "Let's Give Every Kid a Pass to National Parks".

The headline is accurate, the 4th grade is a premium program within the larger K-12 effort.

Why aren't you happy about this?

[upaloopa]

9. I like it but it just doesn't seem like a practical

idea. Lower income people don't go on family vacations to National Parks. They don't have the time off from just getting by in life.
That's how I grew up as a poor kid.

[No Vested Interest]

14. There are many more than one might suspect.

For instance, in my city there is a national monument - the home of a former president.

A family would only need to take an hour or two to tour the home - preferably with a Park ranger,- to see and hear this portion of our national heritage.

[awoke_in_2003]

20. "the home of a former president"

Ohio- the birthplace of presidents (disclaimer- I am a native Buckeye)

[No Vested Interest]

31. Wm. H. Taft, in this case.

US Grant birthplace is just east down the river.
Wm. H. Harrison tomb is in my county - not a national monument as far as I know.
I visited the Warren Harding home in Marion many years ago. I believe he is the last Ohio president. Kasich would like to be, though he was born in PA.

Unfortunately, most of the Ohio Presidents were born before the era of Presidential libraries, so Ohio doesn't have that to offer.
Kentucky, just south has Lincoln's birthplace, and Mammoth Cave, and Indiana has a few, including Benjamin Harrison's home in Indianapolis, so those could be a day trip for local people. Michigan likely has something for Gerald Ford.

Anyway, plenty of opportunity for Ohio 4th graders and families to visit National parks and Monuments.

[awoke_in_2003]

34. Yep...

I left Ohio in 92- I really miss it.

[appalachiablue]

17. It's a terrific idea to expose more children to nature, history, parks & monuments, to actually

experience learning & life instead of being 'on a screen', a reality for most as the article notes. The typical American child spends about 7 minutes outdoors each day, according to what I read last year.
Another positive for the new program is additional transportation $ for low income schools. Great, I hope it reaches the many deserving kids intended.

How families that are very short of time, overworked & struggling to get by, will be able to plan & afford excursions, getaways & vacations to use the free pass, whether local or further away is a valid concern. Public programs are familiar to me from work as a museum educator in art, history & Civil War parks & forts.

New school teaching materials & an education portal with the NPS (National Park Service) is where the $ for contracted private tech companies came in to build new systems, as is common with projects from the Secy. of the US Educ. Dept., Arne Duncan, the private charter-voucher school advocate.
Another good sign from the photos is no kids & families sent out with electronic tablets & I-pods, but rather using binoculars & relying on their own eyes & senses for observation. Hope the program's a great success; the kids deserve it.

[CreekDog]

27. Lower income people don't visit the Golden Gate National Recreation area?

They don't visit Independence Hall in Philadelphia?

Poor kids in Tucson don't visit Saguaro National Monument which is on both sides of Tucson?

They don't visit or desire to visit the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island? (Or Angel Island, the Ellis Island of the West Coast near San Francisco)

Lower income people in Washington D.C. don't visit or don't want to visit National Park-run places in that city?

[Pisces]

36. What is your malfunction???

[Pisces]

35. Wah Wah!! What a Debbie downer. Find a problem where there is no problem. Celebrate

good news.

[HappyMe]

3. Wow. That's so cool.

This is something worthwhile to get behind.

[Brother Buzz]

4. Here's hoping state governors follow suit

In my state, 4th graders are taught state history, and well, there are a lot of state parks of historical significance the kids should be seeing.

[handmade34]

5. excellent

and awaiting the day when they will all be paid for by our collective dollars...

[NYC_SKP]

10. This is a terrific investment in the nation's future, educationally and environmentally...

And, probably, economically, etc.

[progressoid]

8. Then we're gonna need some more parks.

Parks suffer from their own popularity

“It’s a tough situation,” former Yosemite employee and University of Miami student Kateva Rosato said.

“There are just so many people, it’s hard to know what to do because we can’t follow behind every person to clean up the mess.”

Both pedestrian and vehicle traffic have led to erosion on the trails, trampled vegetation, litter, noise, smog and water pollution.

Yosemite Park Ranger and Spokesperson Kari Cobb noted the detriment to the park’s landscape from the visitors.

“When you have so many people, they are going to cause damage,” Cobb stated.


http://www.ournationalparks.us/park_issues/national_parks_often_suffer_from_their_own_popularity/

[NYC_SKP]

12. It's by no means just major National Parks. Yosemite is just not at all representative.

And, do you know how sparsely populated the area around Yosemite is?

Many parks are undervisited: http://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/g296/national-parks-124040809/

If you think the initiative is about cramming kids from Cincinnati and Columbus into Yosemite, you miss the point and might not realize how many places qualify for this program.

This program will help get kids of all ages into all the national parks, public lands, and waters.

That's a LOT of opportunity!

As mentioned upthread, it would be great to see each state launch a similar program.

[upaloopa]

19. Have you been to Yosemite?

Winona is the only area you can camp without a reservation. And that is first come first served. So you have to be there Monday morning as spaces empty.
Try driving around the park on a normal summers day.
Only the real hikers who backpack up into the mountains get away from the crowds.

[NYC_SKP]

22. Many times, we used to used Camp Curry in high school. It's crowded and popular, what is your point

As I said, this is not a "send your kid to Yosemite" program, it's all national public lands and parks, a waiver of entrance fees.

Yosemite is packed and popular, people from all around the world come there for a once in a lifetime experience.

As world population has grown, so has the number wanting to go to Yosemite.

I don't know why you're concerned, did you think that beneficiaries of this program will be able to cut in front of people with reservations?

Is it just the sheer increase that in interest in Yosemite that this program might produce?

Here's what I think:

4th grade is perfect, kids are curious and this will be transformative, regardless of which park they visit, because some kids have never ever been to any park except their own city park, and that might be filled with trash and crackheads.

The program will help provide transportation for school kids, a far better way actually to get kids in compared to individual cars.

I think it's terrific.

[Pisces]

37. Wow, it is incredible how much people want to complain about something great. You can't please

some Debbie Downers around here. Thanks for trying, but I think they have a different agenda.

[frazzled]

43. Yeah, it's not just this

President vetoes Keystone pipeline bill: yeah, but he didn't do it for the right reasons.

FCC finally votes to regulate the Internet as a utility, cementing Net Neutrality: pretty much silence, or the usual sporadic grousing: the corporations will just find a way around it!

Government to give free passes to National Parks to all 4th graders: wah, why just 4th graders; poor people don't go to parks (a misconception that is troubling).

Do you suppose people are really interested in these issues, or are they only happy when they're complaining? Or proposing obscure conspiracy theories? I, for one, welcome all this wonderful news of the past few days. I voted for this government in order to have good news and not have to worry so much. I'm damned happy. Except with the state of this board lately.

[CreekDog]

29. Why do you insist on making a straw man of this idea?

It's designed to get kids, especially poorer kids to the National Parklands, which aren't just Yosemite, but actually, include the most visited lands right in our adjacent to our largest urban areas.

The most visited National Park lands are in and around San Francisco and in and near New York City.

First you come into the thread poo-pooing the idea saying it won't work, they don't vacation that way, now you're saying that Yosemite shouldn't get more visitors because it's too crowded.

First, get your facts right.

Second, take a position and stick with it, don't go contradicting yourself just because it gives you another way to attack a thoughtful idea.

[mountain grammy]

49. I live at the west entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park

celebrated it's 100th birthday this year. Record crowds last year should be even bigger this year. The park absorbs it all, we absorb it all. Everyone come and enjoy the national parks...
No matter how crowded the park gets, there's lots of space and lots of places to hike away from the crowds.

Don't let anyone discourage you, get thee to a park!

I'm so happy about this initiative. It's wonderful.

How can anyone say this President doesn't love America.

[Xithras]

13. Many of the parks, including Yosemite, just need to implement hard visitor limits.

They need to determine how many visitors the parks can handle without environmental degradation, and then implement a hard cap. Once the park hits that limit, the gates shut and new entries are only allowed as previous visitors leave.

National parks exist to preserve nature. When human traffic reaches levels where that preservation is no longer possible, it's time to limit that traffic.

[alcibiades_mystery]

11. Haha, sucka fools! My daughter starts 4th grade this fall!

[NYC_SKP]

16. ROFL!

"Sucka fools!"

[awoke_in_2003]

21. lucky bastard

[underpants]

28. My current 4th grader "That's not fair!"

[mountain grammy]

50. Come see us in Colorado.. lot's of National Parks here.

[JDPriestly]

15. Wonderful! Thank you Mr. President and your team. Lots of wonderful memories will come or

this.

[erronis]

18. Why am I the first to suggest that the 'thuglicans will find a way to shoot this down?

Anything that is good for the people should not be let stand (GOP Motto).

I can't wait to see how the 13+ 'thuglican candidates will argue this.

nOt'Really will go off on some strange tangent about how the parks are not really for the "people" but probably are shooting ranges for his mentally-deficient buddies.

[appalachiablue]

33. You have very creative references to the Repugs. Most amusing. But seriously, the Gop is

well known for not liking people much of late. During the federal govt. shutdown one old Repug congressman aggressively hassled National Park Service rangers on the national Mall because of closed gates to memorials that wheelchair visitors were unable to visit even though that's what his party caused. Same for Congress. hearings with Rep. Darryl Issa, neo-McCarthyite hassling park staff about why? Re closed centers in Yorktown and Jamestown, VA that they had ordered.

The National Park Service staff are some of the hardest working and most educated people I've ever known in the history field. And they endure years, even decades of the threat of more budget cuts at the Dept. of the Interior since Reagan. A National Archives colleague in the '90s cautioned tourists not to let their kids play in the sculpture fountains. The homeless sometimes used them as urinals after Reagan eliminated massive funding for public mental hospitals with plans of community based centers with counselors which never happened.

[erronis]

38. Yes, I tend to get carried away - mea culpa x 4

And of course railing against the unthinking, irrational, greedy, self-serving, arrogant group that calls itself the GOP in these days is not christian.

There may be a few left in that fold that give a damn about the rest of the country. But Newt and whoever that idiot is from K Street made sure that if you wanted the "R" after your name, you had to kiss their wallets.

Sad state of affairs, this "representative government". Since the Presidency, the Congress are up for purchase to the highest bidder (dollars, not votes), why do the rest of us care any more? In case you are a scholar of the three branches of government - do you think the SCOTUS represents the populace in any form?

Waiting for the masses to realize that they aren't getting what they were promised....

[appalachiablue]

39. It's a hyper neoliberal ultraconservative mess full tilt in the US since Reagan & Newt. Then Dubya.

Many are unaware due to the corp. media so I can't fault them that much esp. since the left never tried beyond Current to counter GOP TV, a fatal flaw. I don't see vocal, 'good' republicans of the Olympia Snow type anymore, and she bailed when the Tea Party came to town. Maybe that's just me.
SCOTUS always favors business or the state against people; what will it take to dislodge that group I don't know.
This thread is about a good measure on the part of the President for children's education and our nation's parks and historic sites. I hope the program will be a national success; the kids deserve so much.
Wouldn't it be nice if the fourth graders also received a free couple years of college or job training in 10 years when they turn 18? Growing up we had so many good systems, schools, libraries, parks, free, low cost education, ample job opportunities. Maybe things will eventually start to turn for the better, I hope-

[Stuart G]

23. Some of my best memories in life are in national parks.

Haven't been to Hawaii or Alaska, but been to many in U.S.A. and Canada.

One of the most amazing of all, is not so well known, Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. Talk about a "cave" So many absolutely incredible places to visit. Oh, and I got to give an ad for the Everglades, truly incredible. as are so many. We are very lucky that a few great people helped to save these places..

I am happy that a family with a 4th grader will get in free. I could go on for an hour, but this makes me very happy.

[Aerows]

42. I've been to the Grand Canyon

the Okefenokee Swamp, the Red River project & Swamp (http://www.conservationfund.org/projects/go-zero-carbon-projects-red-river-nwr/ - it was totally cool, I lived near there in college and went a couple of times), and probably a dozen others I don't remember except for the fact that it was just plain awesome. It's a great opportunity for both the kids and their families!

[johnnyreb]

24. Wow! Now THAT's American!

Thank you Mr. President.

[Liberal_in_LA]

25. wow

[NYC_SKP]

26. The National Parks system turns 100 this year. It's a Birthday Present to the Nation!

By the nation, for the nation.

Wow is right!

[sheshe2]

30. Awesome!

Thank you to The President and his team. The kids will get both recreation and an education.

Great post NYC_SKP.

[dilby]

32. Cool, but why only 4th graders, why not all kids in public schools? n/t

[NYC_SKP]

44. It's a formative year and one in which science is taught.

If I had to pick one grade, it would be 4th or 6th.

Doing this for all grades would be too much and could be rife with abuse, families going year after year.

And they are doing other things for all K-12 grades, like subsidizing transportation for schools and providing curriculum on the Internet.

The 4th grade deal is a premium and really cool!

[dilby]

45. I hardly consider accessing our public parks year after year as abuse.

I think they need to open the parks to everyone free of charge, finance them through taxes not admission fees.

[jberryhill]

52. Because every 1-3 grader will bug mom & dad when they qualify

[dilby]

53. But that excludes kids in grades 5-12 now.

Ones who I think should get the same opportunity and why should kids only get to see it for 1 year, why not for 12 years since it's public parks it should be accessible to our children any time they want without paying a fee.

[jberryhill]

55. Obama hates 5th graders

You see, he can remember how influential it was to go to a communist madrasah in Indonesia when he was in fourth grade....

Well, maybe not, but the idea seems to be that you make it a special opportunity and not a "yeah, maybe next year" kind of thing.

It's really not much more than symbolic, in any practical sense, but the point is that "limited time offers" work.... "Act now while you can". And the reality is that people who have not visited their local national parks will be inclined to consider them without any dumb incentive after they've made that first visit.

Obama learned this by dealing heroin at elementary schools in Chicago...

[Aerows]

40. We went to parks and monuments when I was a kid

I even have pictures of me, my sister and parents when they took us to the Grand Canyon. It's a really, really neat experience to visit national parks. I've been to a bunch of them and they are all great experiences for both kids and adults!

[No Vested Interest]

48. They still are a neat experience.

The visit by me (senior) and two of my middle-aged "kids" last May to Gettysburg National Battlefield and to the Eisenhower Farm was a memorable experience for us all.
Which reminds me - it's also terrific to spend "family time" this way - great shared experience.

[Aerows]

54. That must have been fun!

I love doing things like that (and yeah, I'm hitting middle age, but I still love it)!

Glad you and your family could enjoy it together !

[Jefferson23]

41. Beautiful. K&R

[Fawke Em]

46. The National Park in my back yard is already free, though.

There's no charge to enter the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

[NYC_SKP]

47. That's a spectacular park.

Of course they all are!

[jberryhill]

56. Shhhhhh....

Don't tell anyone.

[mountain grammy]

51. My back yard: Rocky Mountain National Park

celebrating 100 years this year. Everybody come! I am so lucky to live here.

[jberryhill]

57. Wow!

At 100 years, you must be DU's oldest member.

Dayum, I doubt I'll be posting that long.

[hopemountain]

58. imagine the smiles, excitement, wonder, & inspiration

on so many more young & old faces through this open door! smiles & inspiration that will last a lifetime. thank you, president obama and all of those who worked to bring the awareness of the power of a visit to our national parks to an initiative. there is now funding to support transportation and other resources for those who have been organizing trips to the parks - and our forests with young kids who don't have the opportunity to venture further than their local neighborhood. awesome, just awesome!