Golden Gate National Recreation Area recently announced they have received the National Park Foundation OutDoors for Kids grant.
The National Park Foundation created the Open OutDoors for Kids initiative to encourage more of the nation's youth to explore national parks through outdoor activities, according to its website.
“We are grateful to receive this grant from the National Park Foundation, and eager to provide high-quality, curriculum-based programming to our local schools,” Laura Joss, general superintendent of Golden Gate National Recreation Area said in a Jan. 28 press release.
“'Rock! Pattern! Systems!' takes young geologists on a dramatic trek to the Point Bonita Lighthouse, in the Marin Headlands area of the park, and the first place in California where scientists produced a detailed geologic map, the release stated. Through individual outings and small group work, students use copies of the first complete world map of the ocean floor to hone their powers of observation and find patterns in seafloor mountain ranges.
"At Point Bonita, students investigate seafloor rocks along the trail and pose questions for deeper meaning as they construct their own understanding of the importance of accurate data in creating new scientific knowledge," according to the National Park Service.
For the school year 2020-2021, 811 fourth grade students from 20 schools participated in the program, according to the release.
"National parks are America’s largest classrooms, and Open OutDoors for Kids seeks to connect as many kids as possible to them,” National Park Foundation President and CEO Will Shafroth said in the release. “With parks, learning is fun, memorable, and hands-on. Parks open kids’ eyes to the wonder and complexities of nature and history, sharing diverse perspectives that offer a wider understanding of our country’s progress and struggles.”
