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Introduction
Connecting and inspiring the next generation through our national parks.
Building on a child’s innate wonder and curiosity about the natural world, Open OutDoors for Kids connects students to their national parks through field trips, classroom engagements, and educational activities.
Through multiple immersive experiences, including both field trips and virtual classroom activities, NPF is able to help more students experience national parks. Hoping to help mold lifelong national park stewards, this program helps students, teachers, and families feel safe and supported as they explore national parks, connecting youth to STEM and humanities-based knowledge, and leverages social-emotional learning to promote physical and emotional health and civic engagement skills.
Using the spectacular and unparalleled resources of our nation's 400+ national parks, the program connects more children to their culture and heritage, enhances hands-on learning opportunities, and deepens connections to the natural world.
Program Stories
Learn more about NPF's Open OutDoors for Kids program and the projects it funds in parks.
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The Next (and Next) Generation of Park StewardsHow student-led Yosemite field trips connect kids and communities to inspire future generations.
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Field Trips Open New Doors for Urban ParksA team of seasonal education rangers at San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is using NPF funding to scale their field trip program to 20,000 students in just one year.
By the Numbers
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2MStudentsSince 2011, more than 2 million kids have been connected to our national parks through hands-on learning with Open OutDoors for Kids.
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84Unique Education ProgramsIn the 2022-23 school year, Open OutDoors for Kids grants have helped create and deploy 84 unique place-based and hybrid educational programs across states and U.S. territories.
Program Highlights
Zion National Park invited fourth graders into an immersive program focused on an introduction to the park and southwest ecosystems. Park rangers engaged students through pre-visit virtual or in-class lessons coupled with an immersive full-day field trip where students learned about park stewardship and Leave No Trace principles. Through the experience, students connected with the benefits of outdoors and nature as places for reflection, connection, and transformation.
In its second year, Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, in cooperation with St. Paul United Methodist Church, 16th Street Baptist Church, The Historic Bethel Baptist Church, and Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, inspired local fourth graders to go beyond classroom learning and explore the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, understanding the global impact of the desegregation efforts that took place in Birmingham in 1963 and relating the knowledge they gained through the program to their own lives and environment.
River Raisin National Battlefield engaged students in an exploration of the River Raisin National Battlefield Park in Monroe, Michigan and the untold stories of the War of 1812 in the Great Lakes. Through their experience, students gained and understanding and appreciation for conflict resolution and how their actions can affect others. Through its widely untold history, this program also introduced students to indigenous voice and perspective on the War of 1812 and its impact on tribal sovereignty through a partnership with the Great Lakes Native Nations.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park brought students along a series of learning opportunities offered through the park (earth) and its partners, NOAA’s Mokupāpapa Discovery Center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (sea), and ʻImiloa Astronomy Center (sky), where they were introduced to the interconnectedness of nature. Through participation in field trips with each organization, virtually or in-person, students learned how interdependent life is on the island of Hawaiʻi, as well as how we can “mālama ʻāina,” or care for the world around us. The program won the 2023 NPS Excellence in Education Award.
Program Updates
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UpdateNPF Increases its Commitment to Open OutDoors for Kids and Awards $5 Million in Grants
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UpdateExploring Hometown History at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
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Update$4.4 Million to Fund 99 Open OutDoors for Kids Projects for 2023 – 2024 School Year, Hitting Program Milestone
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Press ReleaseNational Park Foundation Invests $4.4 Million in Connecting Students to National Parks Across the Country
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Press ReleaseNational Park Foundation Honors Corporate Partners that Preserve and Enrich National Parks for Future Generations
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Press ReleaseNational Park Foundation Funds New and Expanded Learning Opportunities to Connect Kids to Parks
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UpdateWorking Together for the Future of Parks
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UpdateAnother Year of Impact in Our Parks
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UpdateSchool is Back in Session
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UpdateDistance Learning on the Mississippi River
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UpdateEvery Day is Earth Day
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UpdateOpening Outdoor Adventures for Youth in Urban Communities
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UpdateCelebrating a Year of Achievements in Our National Parks