NATIONAL PARK TRUST AND USDA FOREST SERVICE SELECT FORT SUMTER FORT MOULTRIE HISTORICAL TRUST, FRIENDS OF CHARLESTON NATIONAL PARKS AS A 2023 EVERY KID OUTDOORS SMALL GRANT AWARDEE
Today, the National Park Trust announced the 2023 round of grantees for the Every Kid Outdoors Small Grants Program. In partnership with the USDA Forest Service, the National Park Trust developed the Every Kid Outdoors grant to support schools and organizations focused on connecting elementary school-aged youth to public parks, lands, and waters.
For over a decade, National Park Trust has been a leader in youth outdoor programming and has been actively addressing the lack of transportation to outdoor spaces – one of the most significant barriers to kids getting outside and experiencing nature. This grant supports the Every Kid Outdoors program, a federal youth initiative designed to provide every 4th grader in the United States the opportunity to visit public lands and waters for free with their families. The great outdoors is an excellent classroom, and the Park Trust and the USDA Forest Service are partnering to provide the experiences that will help kids establish lifelong connections with nature and become the next generation of park stewards.
The Fort Sumter Fort Moultrie Historical Trust, Friends of Charleston National Parks received a $4500 award to support our work to engage for their Kids to the Parks program. In 2023, six Charleston County School District schools were provided fully sponsored field trips to Fort Sumter for their fourth-grade students. In addition to the trip, a Park Ranger conducted instructional visits to their classrooms.
This program was made available to 501c3 non–profit organizations and schools from all over the United States looking for resources and funding to connect their community’s elementary school-aged kids with local parks, public lands, and waters. For 2023, the Park Trust and USDA Forest Service awarded 33 grants to qualified applicants – totaling $135,000.
About National Park Trust
Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2023, National Park Trust’s mission is to preserve parks today and create park stewards for tomorrow. Since 1983, the Park Trust has acquired many of the missing pieces of our national parks, benefiting 51 national park sites. Our national youth education and family initiatives, including our Buddy Bison Programs and National Kids to Parks Day, serve 300 Title I schools annually and cultivate future park stewards. We believe that our public parks, lands, and waters should be cared for, enjoyed by, and preserved by all for current and future generations. Find out more at parktrust.org.
Media Contact
Ivan Levin at 540.818.5818 or ivan@parktrust.org
Cheri Yates at 843.813.0240 or cyates@friendscnp.org